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Sho Baraka || Turn My Life Up As I read the Bible, there are always passages that tug at my spirit just right, and they become all my own. The opening to Psalm 42 is one of those verses. It’s a familiar passage for many Christians, but I don’t think many live it out. I want us to see how we can apply the words of the Psalmist to our lives. So, let’s jump right into the text. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. (Psalm 42:1 ESV) Such simple words are found in this verse, and they should ring true for every Christian. If you’ve ever watched wild animals, one thing you’ll notice is they like to be near water. They know they cannot survive without it. Like the Psalmist notes, the deer knows it needs a constant supply of fresh water if it’s going to have a long life. The Discovery channel and Animal Planet often show documentaries with animals in the plains of Africa risking their lives for a sip of water. They’re willing to risk death to survive. While deer don’t face these same perils, their need for …

The 29th Chapter || Underdogz As a sports fan, I love rooting for the underdog (unless they’re playing against my team). I enjoy celebrating when they are victorious over the behemoth that was supposed to crush them into submission. I see Christianity in the same light. You see, with the way the world’s system is currently setup, Christians are put in a position to fail, therefore I see us as underdogs. The great part about underdogs is that sometimes they win and other times they fail miserably. This reminds me of an episode of South Park I saw while in college. My roommate was a fan of the show, so I was bound to sit through a few episodes. In this episode, Satan and Jesus were facing each other in a boxing match. Satan was this huge muscular guy, while Jesus was feeble and weak. Everyone in South Park bet their money on Satan to win the fight by a landslide because of his stature. When the fight began, Satan fell over and let Jesus win the match. Why? Because he already knew Jesus would defeat him; and, secondly, he bet against himself and ended up going to hell with …

Excelsius || Liberation I love Caller ID; I think it’s one of man’s greatest inventions. It allows me to see who is calling and to screen those calls, if need be. If it’s someone I want to talk to, like a friend, then I can answer; otherwise, I let it go to voicemail. Caller ID is great, but even then, you can miss out on important calls, all because you don’t feel like answering the phone. Sadly, this is the state of many in the world today. They look at the Caller ID and think the call isn’t important enough to answer, so they let it go to voicemail & never check the message. Whatever they are doing at the time is far more important than answering a phone call. This is often the tendency when bill collectors call. They duck and hide, instead of trying to come to some kind of payment arrangement. They continue playing this game until they find out their wages are about to be garnished. It’s not until this point that they’re trying to talk to these people, but it’s too late. Unfortunately, the bill collectors were more than happy to work with them, if …

Jon Corbin || Hearts Set Ablaze We live in a consumer driven society. Everything we do is about promoting and advancing self. When it comes to our friendships, the mantra often becomes “what have you done for me lately?” Even in the church, we often have this mentality. Instead of seeking to serve, we wonder how the church can serve us. As Christians, this is not how God wants us to live. The Christian life is meant to be lived in community, both internally with other believers, and externally as a witness to the world around us. If this is true, what can we do to be a catalyst to spark change around us? When it comes to doing good deeds and helping others, what comes to mind? Is it setting up some huge community project or some other grandiose idea? Well, what if I told you that sparking change can be something small and that we can all start today? The Bible has a lot to say on the topics of community and helping others. If we do a simple search for “one another” in a Bible app, we will find dozens of verses showing practical ways to aid …

Believin’ Stephen || The Suffering Servant Does this sound familiar? “God, why is this happening? Why me?!” It doesn’t matter who you are, this is a question we all raise at some point in our lives. When we survey the world around us, we want to know why we or others in this world are suffering. If God is so loving, why does he allow bad things to happen? Well, the Bible has an answer to this question, and it’s the subject that Believin’ Stephen answers in his song “Suffering & God’s Sovereignty.” One of the difficult puzzles in this world is how we reconcile God’s goodness and sovereignty (that he is in full control), while still allowing evil but not being its author. This is a complex subject, so I’m only giving a view from 30,000 ft. Let’s start at the beginning. At creation, God made & declared everything “good” and “very good.” Yet, in Genesis 3 corruption enters God’s perfect creation through Adam & Eve’s willful disobedience of God’s commands. In this act these two did what they most wanted to do, which was eat the fruit. They sinned against God & sent the world into a tailspin. …

Brinson || Black Canvas I grew up in the church, and I’d often hear people say, “There’s no hurt like a church hurt.” I was always confused by what people meant until it happened to me. At that moment I understood clearly. What is a “church hurt,” you ask? It’s when another Christian sins against or wrongs you in some way. Issues like this are what Brinson addresses in his song “Grudges.” If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, one thing you’ve learned is that Christians still sin. Yes, some have it more together than others, but none of us have reached sinless perfection. That means there will be times when we are wronged in some way. I know friends who worked at churches & moved on to other opportunities, only to have the people they worked with start talking behind their back soon after they had left. I know artists who were booked for shows by Christian organizations, only to get shortchanged upon arrival. The list goes on. Any of these situations is enough to make someone hold a grudge and turn their back on the church. Like Brinson says in his song, “In the streets …