It is said that life is a matter of perspective. To some, that means there isn’t any universal right way to think—no objective truth. What I see is what matters to me; it is my truth. That’s the driving view of cultural psychology in our day—what has been termed expressive individualism. Continue Reading →
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As I look at how influencing happens these days on social media and podcasts, it seems like content is constructed in a couple of different ways. One way is what I would call “story.” In this content, a person opens up their life and experience in vivid detail, describing what happened to them, how it affected them, and how their experience should shape the understanding of others. This story approach is often visceral and emotional and is produced as raw and unfiltered testimony. When I engage this kind of content, it hits me on an emotional level and typically results in greater empathy for the message being communicated. Continue Reading →
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An MRI uses an external tool to examine potential internal problems. On a spiritual level, that’s one important way the Bible works for us. It is an external tool that, under the illuminating and convicting power of the Holy Spirit, reveals the “internal structures” of our souls. Continue Reading →
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I’ve made it a life practice to dip my toes every few months in the bracing but soul-refreshing waters of the writings of Puritan John Flavel during my devotions. Somehow, Flavel traverses the distance of centuries for me more than many Puritan divines. Continue Reading →
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Imagine taking a long bus trip (people still do that) and sitting next to someone who actually seems willing to have a conversation. About an hour of chit-chat along the way, the person turns to you and says, “Tell me your story.” What’s the first thing you’d say? Where would you start? Continue Reading →
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