Fellow Pilgrims: Walking Together in Faith

Most of us do not wake up in the morning and consciously decide that God is going to come second. It usually happens more quietly than that - at least that is my experience. We wake up thinking about the meeting we need to prepare for, the problem we need to solve, the bill we need to pay, the appointment we need to remember, or the conversation we have been replaying in our head. Before long, our attention is scattered across a dozen legitimate concerns, and whatever feels m

We like things we can measure. We track progress, build routines, set goals, and look for visible evidence that our effort is working. At work, we watch the numbers. In our health, we may watch the scale or our waistlines, track our strength, or notice the way our clothes fit. In our spiritual lives, we can create a similar scoreboard: Did I pray enough? Was I patient today? Did I control my temper? Am I becoming more loving, joyful, peaceful, and disciplined? There is nothin

We live in a world built around self-improvement. We set goals, track habits, make plans, and look for better systems. We try to become healthier, more productive, more disciplined, and more emotionally steady. Much of that can be genuinely helpful. Growth requires intention, and Scripture certainly does not encourage passivity. But I have noticed how easily I can bring that same mindset into my relationship with God. I begin treating the Christian life like one more improvem

A couple of weeks ago in Honduras, one moment stayed with me more than any other. Our team was helping build a house while, nearby, another part of the group was studying the Bible with the woman whose home we were building. By the grace of God, after hearing the gospel, she decided that she wanted to put on Christ in baptism. That alone would have been enough to make the day unforgettable. But then something happened that I have not been able to get off my mind. As the group