Radically Happy

Tag: shame

  • Becoming a Whole Christian

    I want to be a Whole Christian. I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength, and be part of a worshipping community with others who do. I want to love my brothers and sisters the way…

  • Song: From Guilt to Grace

    The following song is a lyrical version of “Graphical Theology: The Grace Cycle“, part of my burst of artistic exploration in 1996. It was the first element of a trilogy on the Reformation themes of Guilt-Grace–Gratitude, but unlike the other two I never was happy enough with it to put…

  • LEAD! C.10 World-Changing Worship

    God inhabits the praises of His people, so by worshipping God in spirit and truth we bring His kingdom into our heart, soul, mind, and strength — and our world. Memory Verse: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”” — John 4:24 (NKJV) Assigned…

  • LEAD! C.8 Submission and Service

    In Which… The discipline of submitting ourselves to serve others, when done properly, brings us near the heart of Christ — and forces us to confront our pride and sloth. Memory Verse: “verse” — 2 Corinthians 4:1 (NKJV)

  • LEAD! C.4 Fervent Fasting

    Fasting denies our the body its most basic physical need so that God can supply our soul with its most fundamental spiritual needs. Memory Verse: “‘Now, therefore,’ says the LORD, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So rend your heart, and not…

  • LEAD! B.12 From Shame to Glory

    Ultimately, we will never fully live out these virtues here on earth. We can try to hide our shame through licentiousness or legalism. Or, we can embrace Christ’s work in destroying our shame on the cross. From there we can live the virtues for His glory, not our own –…

  • LEAD! B.7 From Envy to Submission

    Envy is wishing we were in the place of another, experiencing their rewards or privileges. The opposite is submitting to our circumstances and position, trusting in God’s ultimate sovereignty.

  • LEAD! Part B: Christian Character

    As mentioned earlier, the LEAD! Bible Study is a tripod, built on three legs: theological education character formation skill development Having finished writing the lessons for Part A, we now turn out attention to the second trimester (which the class will start in January). This blog post is for the…

  • LEAD! A.7 Man’s Rebellion

    When God created the world, He gave us (mankind) dominion over all the plants and animals. But it was not an unconditional grant: rather, we have a responsibility to take His already “very good” creation to the next level, by filling the earth with His image. And if we fail…

  • Twelve Steps to Arrow-Proof Your Ministry

    Apologies for the pretentious title, but I wanted to challenge myself to identify and reorganize the lessons we covered in last year’s leadership class into a coherent prescription for facing down “Ministry Killers”.

  • The Oatmeal of Shame (A Parable)

    Now, the first thing you need to realize is that oatmeal is part of my life. Not a big part, or a hugely important one, but a regular part. It is a central focus of my morning routine, right up there with coffee. I’m not religious about it — when…

  • Song: Ephesian Covenant (I am God)

    As mentioned earlier, I’ve been looking to write a new song to express what I’m learning about God’s fatherhood. However, I couldn’t figure out where to start. Then, last week while visiting San Francisco with my brother’s family — we stayed at the Radisson Inn on Fisherman’s Wharf — I…