following jesus Archives - Newbreak Church

Be Busy, Not Hurried

“How are you?” The answer to this common formality of the question has some of the most templated answers in the English language. “Good! But busy.” “Tired, but good!” It’s amazing how many of our answers are some sort of combination of “good” and “busy” as if those two go together like peanut butter and…

Combatting Complacency So I Press On Toward All God Has For Me

The Oxford dictionary defines “complacent” as “showing uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements.” When I reflect on my spiritual life, that is, my walk with God, it is easy to become complacent. It is easy to become “uncritical” and settle for a certain level of progress in my life. Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher,…

Who Do We Trust: Almighty God or the Almighty Dollar?

On July 11, 1955 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill that would forever change the way American currency would look. From then on, all currency reads the phrase: “In God we trust.” Charles E. Bennett, the representative of Florida at the time, said that adding “In God we trust” would “serve as a constant…

When We Look Like Our Heavenly Father

Many of us resemble our parents, whether we take that as a compliment or not! Maybe you say certain phrases they do, or you do a routine chore in a specific and quirky way. Hopefully, we can take the good and learn from the rest when it comes to resembling our parents. But how about…

Happy Are the Unhappy

John Lennon, a founding member of the Beatles, once famously said: “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” Although Lennon never professed to be a Christ-follower, his statement reflects the kind of hope only a believer in Jesus could have—beyond sentiment. Honestly, doesn’t it feel like “it’s…

The Hidden Surprise in the Story of Mary and Martha

Luke 10:38-42 contains a famous narrative involving Jesus, Mary, and Martha. This story is often used to talk about priorities; usually saying something to the effect that we should not be distracted with tasks (like Martha) and miss out on being with Jesus (like Mary). While this is true, there is more to the story.…

Learning Leadership Lessons from Rabbi Jesus

We know that reading the Gospels has multifaceted value. They introduce us to Jesus. We see God’s unraveling plan of salvation. The love and grace of God are on full display. Many things can be said, but one thing can often be neglected—learning leadership lessons from our Rabbi, Jesus. He (Jesus) also told them this…

From Spending to Investing: Changing the Way We See Time

I love that the allotted time of each day is one of the grand equalizers of us all. Whether you are a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company or a stay-at-home-parent or anything else, we all have 24 hours in a day. Think about it: time is the one commodity so precious that you can’t…

Jesus is Your Shepherd: It’s More Practical Than You Might Think!

Many of the metaphors in the Bible were deployed to help communicate essential truths to a (now) ancient audience. For instance, God as our “shepherd” had such a straight-forward significance to Jewish people living in the ancient near east thousands of years ago. Genesis 48:15 records Jacob blessing Joseph and calling God “my shepherd all…

Suffering is Tough, But We Are Too!

You can make the right choices and do the right things and still walk into a season of suffering. Why is that? Because suffering comes as surely as the high-tide of the ocean. “Suffering is the common thread in all our garments,” Charles Swindoll says. Every person faces it. So what do we do? We…