IIW Blog
How to Unlearn the Church’s Worst Habit
Loving Jesus, I love God’s people. I love the church. This is not a church bashing post. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of that going around. It’s always easier to attack someone else’s faults than deal with our own, and sometimes the church is an easy target. So while I love the church, there’s something we...Read the Post→
How to Hear God Like Your Radio
Hearing God in your life is a lot like listening to the radio. In order listen to your radio, you’ve got to 3 things. You’ve got to turn it on. Then you’ve got to tune it in to the station you want. Then you’ve got to set your volume—turn it up! Listening to God in...Read the Post→
Why You Don’t Want Clarity but This Instead
We all want clarity before moving forward. But that’s not how God has wired the universe. Clarity is backward facing. It looks at the past events and actions in our lives and says, “Oh, that’s why that didn’t work out, but that’s why this did.” Looking back, we see how God orchestrated them for good...Read the Post→
2 Practical Ways to Faith Jesus
On July 15, 1859, daredevil and tight rope walker Charles Bloudin walked across a tightrope 1100 feet long, suspended 160-200 feet in the air, without a net. Over Niagara Falls. Pushing a wheelbarrow. Walking backward. Blindfolded. When he reached his destination on the other side, the crowd roared with amazement. When he was ready for...Read the Post→
Why Life is Sacred and What that Even Means
Sacred. What does that word even mean? We hardly use it anymore today. It sounds like a vegetable. “Yeah, we just planted some sacred between the beets and the squash.” But it’s a very important word. Because life is sacred. When our hearts lose the truth of that last sentence, we descend into the very...Read the Post→
How to Live Beyond Happiness–In Deep Joy from Your Spirit
What is Deep Joy anyway? Sometimes it’s easier to explain what a thing is not, so let’s start there. Deep Joy is not happiness. Deep Joy is so much better than mere happiness. Happiness is situational. When circumstances are great, we’re happy. When they’re not, we’re not happy. Happiness is based on circumstances, and therefore...Read the Post→
Morality and Integrity Won’t Change the Culture. Character Will.
I always thought morality, integrity, and character were all the same thing. Turns out they’re not. I just read an exceptional book called The Noticer Returns by Andy Andrews that has taught me the difference. It’s an important distinction. Our culture is suffering because the church doesn’t know the difference. Morality vs Character I believe...Read the Post→
How to Find Meaning in Your Pain by Doing These Two Things
[Author’s Note: Many thanks to Elijah House. Many of the concepts in this post are from their teaching on The Spiritual Development of the Believer.] There’s a part of the Gospel that we too often neglect. It’s uncomfortable, and our modern world is all about catering to our comfort. But this forgotten part of the...Read the Post→
White Repentance: How Not to Miss a Daniel 9 Holy Moment
We are in a holy moment. It’s one of those times when heaven bends near to earth. If we don’t miss it, our actions now can affect great change on the earth. A Daniel 9 Moment Daniel 9 is one of the most mind-blowing chapters in the Bible. Because they abandoned the Lord, the people...Read the Post→
4 Steps to Authentic Relationships
This morning, as I look out on our deck, I see a glorious new day with radiant sunshine. It speaks of promise. Each day brings beauty and the prospect of hope. However, the visual beauty is marred by something ugly. As someone who finds beauty restorative, I find this disturbing. You see, I love my...Read the Post→