As I sit down to write this, it is a little past lunch time here. Choosing where to eat for lunch can get a bit overwhelming at times, especially when you have a group of people all trying to choose together. Everyone has different tastes, different food allergies, and different tolerances with regard to price.Continue reading “Church for Sale”
Author Archives: Dr. Sam Draper
You Are Who You Meet
As I approach my 40th birthday this year (ugh), I am “trying” to be more health conscious. You know . . . the whole diet and exercise nonsense. I find myself checking calorie counts on foods and convincing myself the taste isn’t worth the waist. Of course, all this brings to mind the old saying,Continue reading “You Are Who You Meet”
Jesus Wept
Where to even begin with this? Since I have started this blog, I have used Twitter as my main social media platform to let people know when I post something. Since then, I have cultivated a wide range of men and women who I follow to make me think and laugh and, hopefully, become aContinue reading “Jesus Wept”
Jesus’ Transfiguration, the Cross, and the Crown
This past weekend, as we are working our way through the Gospel of Mark, our pastor, John Tischer, preached through Mark 9:2-13. This passage is Mark’s record of the Transfiguration, in which Jesus takes Peter, James, and John on top of a mountain to witness a miraculous event. Jesus is transformed before their eyes, andContinue reading “Jesus’ Transfiguration, the Cross, and the Crown”
Remember the Lord’s Supper
The following is an excerpt from a discipleship book I am writing. Often paired with baptism, the practice of Communion (also referred to as the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist) is a communal discipline initiated by Jesus and passed on through His early disciples to the Church today. It is practiced in different ways byContinue reading “Remember the Lord’s Supper”
The Biggest Threat to the Church
If you lurk around Christian Twitter long enough (a habit I do NOT recommend), you notice that one of the perennial themes is whether or not _______________ is a threat to the Church in America. In fact, it appears pretty easy to build a platform, write books, and hold conferences on this theme. Simply pickContinue reading “The Biggest Threat to the Church”
How Can I Fix My Eyes on Jesus?
This past Sunday was Resurrection Sunday, a celebration of the fact that Jesus conquered death and now lives and reigns forever. However, if we truly believe this in our hearts and not just our heads, then really every day should be Resurrection Day. What I mean is that every single day should be lived inContinue reading “How Can I Fix My Eyes on Jesus?”
How Jesus Restories Us
No, that is not a typo in the title of this blog post. Since January, I have been writing a book and teaching a class on discipleship and disciple-making called Into His Image. (If interested, you can watch recordings of the class here.) The further I go, the more I am beginning to see discipleshipContinue reading “How Jesus Restories Us”
Discipleship in the Age of Talk Radio
News broke this week that conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh passed away. Social media was aflame (as always), and divided (as always) over the legacy of this man. For those on the right, Limbaugh was a lion of a man, a genius, a pioneer for what it means to fight for conservative political ideals inContinue reading “Discipleship in the Age of Talk Radio”
Calling All Men
Every once in a while, I see the old church leadership debate about men and women flare up on Twitter or other social media platforms. As with so many social, cultural, and church issues, there are passionate proponents on each side. You have those who say that church leadership roles, most especially the roles ofContinue reading “Calling All Men”
The Awkward Christian Blog 