Finished reading: Humanism from the Heart by Steve Ghikadis, B.A., BEd 📚
This was a really enjoyable memoir. The author, an atheist-humanist is winsome, kind, and generous.
It’s joy inducing to see all the baseball pictures in my feed.
1.2 Attention - What You Train Grows
We live in an age of distraction. Our attention is constantly being captured, pulled, and shaped—often without us realizing it.
In this episode, we explore a simple but powerful truth: what you repeatedly give your attention to quietly forms you.
Spiritual formation doesn’t begin with intensity or effort. It begins with attention. The question isn’t whether you’re being formed—it’s by what.
Rooted in Jesus’ words about the attention and focus (Matthew 6:19–24), this conversation looks at how our daily focus trains our fears, our loves, and our hopes—and how small, grace-filled shifts in attention can reshape us over time.
No heroic practices. No spiritual hustle. Just learning to notice what’s shaping us.
New here? Start with Season 0, a short two-episode introduction to the heart of The Pastor Next Door. It sets the tone—grace-first, honest about doubt, and committed to the slow work of formation.
This work is not about tweaking personalities or winning power struggles. It is about creating the conditions for deep change. And that begins with fostering enough safety for courage to grow. It is about staying present long enough for shame to loosen its grip.
- Creating the Conditions for Deep Change by Chuck DeGroat
Revelation 4 - A Glimpse into the Throne Room
To listen to the whole unabridged teaching, listen here: A Glimpse into the Throne Room
As we move from the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 into the vision of the heavenly throne room in chapters 4 and 5, things are about to get “weird.” We are moving from the clear to the less clear—into the realm of deep imagery and symbolism.
The new full screen posting interface from @manton and micro.blog is so nice!
God's Kingdom Come - The Scandalous Guest List
To listen to the full unabridged audio listen here: The Scandalous Guest List
Today is Super Bowl Sunday—a day synonymous with gatherings, snacks, and “sportsball.” Whether you’re there for the game or just the commercials, it’s one of those rare nights where everyone chills out and has a good time.
But in the first century, parties were a different story. They weren’t “democratic” like ours today; they were highly structured, intentional, and governed by strict social rules. This context makes the story of Jesus at a dinner party in Luke 14:1-14 all the more shocking.
Currently reading: The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson 📚
Starting a new stand alone tonight. The Cosmere is just so addictive!
Finished reading: The Will of the Many by James Islington 📚
This book read like Red Rising meets Mistborn meets Ancient Rome. I really enjoy the political intrigue that is building.
Currently reading: The Lost Metal: A Mistborn Novel (Mistborn, 7) by Brandon Sanderson 📚
I am excited for the final installment of the Wax and Wayne series.
Finished reading: The Bands of Mourning: A Mistborn Novel (Mistborn, 6) by Brandon Sanderson 📚
These Wax and Wayne books are an absolute blast. The number of times that I laugh out loud is ridiculous.
I’m thankful for the collegial and kind debate that has been happening at the 187th Stated Meeting of the Midwest Presbytery. It turns out that it is possible to disagree well.
“Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its apologia for the weak. – I feel that Christianity is rather doing too little in showing these points than doing too much. Christianity has adjusted itself much too easily to the worship of power. It should give much more offence, more shock to the world, than it is doing. Christianity should take a much more definite stand for the weak than to consider the potential moral right of the strong.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, from a sermon on 2 Cor. 12:9