I have to reconsider you. The things you struggled with may not be a thing any more. The vices may be gone. The anger, dissipated.

How much of your faith is forged alone? How much of it is formed together?

But in tandem, respond like we’re the only one He’s concerned about.  Like He would, in some mystical way, set aside the universe for a season to walk with you for your whole life like you're the only one.  To coach you, shepherd you, and care for you like you're the only one.  

Whether it’s plagues or cancer or tragic car accidents, we have the tendency to look at the BAD in the world and ask “who sinned?”.

Social media gives us the illusion that we are actually doing something. Whether it’s adventures or social justice warriors, banging away on their keyboards, social media provides us with a sense that we’re participating even though we’re merely watching.

We’ve shifted from doing to consuming.

As a Christian, there is the incredibly audacious command to “rejoice always.” And “in all circumstances, give thanks.” Some people see circumstances and despair and disappointment and never quite get there. They stall out for minutes, days, years. But a sign of spiritual maturity is that you get there faster. Spiritual maturity can be measured by the speed at which you arrive at rejoicing.

Think about your proximity to your phone. Very few people are satisfied with their relationship with their phone. And yet, we do not distance ourselves from it. Most of us actually allow our phones to literally touch us all day. Whether in our pocket or through the proxy of an Apple Watch, our phones are constantly in contact with us.

For most of us, our phones are choosing what to think about all day. The dings, rings, pings. The messages, emails, and notifications.

It’s setting the agenda for what we think about all day.

Have you ever stopped to consider what all of this activity on the phone is yielding? I would argue that most of it yields nothing. That you could walk away from your phone and stare at a wall and get more out of the moment than being on Facebook.

The distance between having and not having looks equidistant from having and having the perfect. But the distance is not equal and it’s an important distinction. The distance on the left is way farther than the distance between having and having the perfect. The distance between zero and one is actually much farther than the distance between one and a thousand.

The journey to France will require time, money, and a lot of study. But, eventually, you gotta go. You’ve read the tutorials, but it’s all wasted without an actual trip.

A major part of the Christian faith is baptism. It symbolizes death and new life. Most baptisms declare the two parts: death and life. Something to the effect of, “Raised to walk in a new way of life.” But there’s another part of baptism that we overlook.

What does “main character [stuff]” look like today? What does Hero [Stuff] look like for the disciple? For those walking out their faith, on the path with Jesus, what does it mean to engage with the day in such a way that keeps the fire going?

What if the cost will not, indeed, be different for everyone? What if the cost will be the same for everyone? And if the cost is the same, we don’t have to guess and we can run the numbers.

If all of these assumptions are true, we don’t need to doubt that we are being pruned, that his heart for us is good, that we are going to come forth as pure gold. The people who leave and do not remain do not get pruned. It’s actually way more painful to stay.

The New Testament is clear on where a faith journey leads. How can we get it so wrong? That path leads to suffering, pruning, and death. If you are serious about following Jesus and sticking with him, you will suffer.

There is always more happening than what you can see. What is seen is only the beginning.

Isn’t this the way God feels? He supplied materials, energy, your network, and your talents and then you’re slow to acknowledge Him or give anything back to Him.

Before you pray in complaint about the sticking door, look at all the other things that have been given to you. Be the you who is insanely grateful for the 100 things that are going right in your life. Yeah, the door sticks. But don’t be a Richard.

Would you give Him your savings account in order to be obedient and follow Him? Would you place yourself in harm's way (laying down your bodily riches) in order to follow Him?

But beware of D-Day (+1) because the war’s not over yet. Beware Faith (+1) because the journey’s not finished.

Elijah stepped out in faith and, in an ostentatious manner, called fire down from heaven to defeat the false prophets. But soon thereafter when Jezebel pursued him, he laid down under a tree and prayed to die.