De-Escalating Disciples: The Example Of Jesus In A Polarized World
De-escalation. It’s such a buzz word in our current culture, and yet it has such potent implications for followers of Jesus in the modern...
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The Simpleton Blog
Click on a category to find archives full of content
- Aug 4
The Upside Down Kingdom
*The following is my manuscript that I used for a message delivered to the opening worship of Family Camp at Bayshore Camp. Based on...
- Jul 18
The Bubble Effect
When my wife and I first got married we lived in and around Chicago. At one point we lived out in the western suburbs, but I was going to...
- Dec 31, 2022
Reflections On Disaffiliation And Resignation
*CONTEXT* I’m currently an ordained elder in the UMC. My local church has been talking disaffiliation (switching denominations) for a...
- Jun 28, 2022
How To Bring Revival To Your Life - Part 2.5
BONUS BLOG I wanted to do a three part series, but there are simply TOO MANY amazing resources I wanted to tell you about. SO, here’s a...
- Jun 27, 2022
How To Bring Revival To Your Faith - Part 2
Quick Recap: This is the second in a three part series about how to bring REVIVAL to your faith life. The pandemic made things difficult...
- Jun 13, 2022
How To Bring Revival to Your Faith
Let’s face it – the pandemic was like a wet blanket thrown on the sparks of our lives. Even if we managed to avoid getting sick, or had a...
- May 2, 2022
Touching the Third Rail
[Author’s note: this article is about the specific denominational troubles inside the UMC – which is a fairly niche topic. I realize it...
- Feb 24, 2022
Community Outreach Part 3 - Partnerships
Community Outreach Part 3 - Partnerships A few months ago I was asked to lead a Leadership Training event on Community Outreach. I led an...
- Feb 17, 2022
Community Outreach Part 2 - The Mentality
A few months ago I was asked to lead a Leadership Training event on Community Outreach. I led an hour long zoom meeting, and then we...
- Feb 10, 2022
Community Outreach Part 1 - The Framework
A few months ago I was asked to lead a Leadership Training event on Community Outreach. I led an hour long zoom meeting, and then we...
- Jan 3, 2022
The Mission Field Of the Future
This is the third and final post in our three part mini series on how to be a Christian on the internet. First, we covered the atmosphere...
- Dec 7, 2021
Troll Farms and Christian Cringe
By Pastor JJ This post is part 2 of our series on the intersection between technology and life as a Christian in the modern world. Last...
- Dec 2, 2021
The Seeds of Winter
By Pastor JJ A few days ago there was a beautiful snow fall, and for a half a moment the world was blanketed in white. My boys and I...
- Nov 30, 2021
The Internet Is A Coffee Shop
By Pastor JJ This blog post is part one of a three part series on how we engage in ministry and life, using technology. Today I want to...
- Nov 22, 2021
The Comfort of the Cliché
I’ve always been one of those people who has a strong rule against Christmas music and decorations in November. In my own personal war...
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