Jared Byas is co-host of the popular podcast The Bible for Normal People and co-author of the book Genesis for Normal People. As a former teaching pastor and professor of Philosophy & Biblical Studies, he speaks regularly on the Bible, truth, creativity, wisdom, and the Christian faith. He and his wife, Sarah, live outside Philadelphia,…
After listening to Jason Elam and his conversation with Wm. Paul Young on the Messy Spirituality podcast, we were inspired to get vulnerable and talk about some things. We ventured into: Dr. Paul Fitzgerald’s 3 keys to healing from shame. How shame isolates in the organized church The system of organized religion and how we…
After listening to Jason Elam and his conversation with Wm. Paul Young on the Messy Spirituality podcast, we were inspired to get vulnerable and talk about some things. We ventured into: Dr. Paul Fitzgerald’s 3 keys to healing from shame. How shame isolates in the organized church The system of organized religion and how we…
If I speak with the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal[1] The Apostle Paul Several years ago, I was officially categorized as a missionary. When I replanted a church in Nebraska it was considered mission work, even though I…
“In the days ahead, you will either be a mystic or nothing at all.” ― Karl Rahner Recently, I have discovered the music of Van Morrison. It’s one of those things where you say, “Where have you been all my life?” Most people my age that like Morrison probably discovered him decades ago, but I like…
It goes without saying that I have loved my children since they were born. I would go so far as to say that I loved them even before they were born. I would categorize this love as close to unconditional. There were times that I was frustrated with them. There were times when I doubted…
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Martin Luther King Jr. “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice…” Jesus One of my daughters is a lot like my wife, Laura. She always wants things to be fair. I grew up with the assumption that…
My boss used to tell people I was his spiritual adviser. I always reminded him that if I was his spiritual adviser, he should probably listen to me every once in a while. We had a pretty good relationship but he probably didn’t like it when I went to work somewhere else. In the area…
This morning I got inspired. I’m blessed that it lasted throughout my busy day and I still have some left to, hopefully, finish this blog. Being inspired always makes me think of a word in the New Testament, theopneustos, which is sometimes translated “inspired,” but more often translated “God-breathed.” Since theo relates to God and…
Every year, around Halloween, you can expect a certain amount of chatter around the subject of fear. There is the fear that the dark forces are using this holiday to get to our children. The warnings promote a fear that we will be duped or desensitized into believing that the Halloween is harmless. There is…
The Desert Sanctuary 