Jesus at 2AM | A Humorous, Intelligent Introduction to the Bible, Theology, Church History & the Spiritual Life

Spending time with God is important and critical for any follower of Jesus. However, sometimes knowing what “spending time with God” looks like in a practical sense can be difficult to discern. Practices like “quiet times” and “solo times” are helpful for some followers of Jesus, but what about those who don’t connect with God […]

One of the great struggles in the life of faith is the sense that God is vastly distant. We may talk about “intimacy” and “relationship” and “making contact.”  But in day-to-day experience, it feels like we do a good bit of talking to God, and God rarely talks back. Yes, we have been given the […]

  What does an authentic, intimate relationship with God “feel” like? That is to say: What are we aiming for as we grow to love God? What should a mature Christian expect to experience when connection to God has been achieved? (An important question, as our answer will direct our behavior and shape our sense of “progress.”) […]

This is the first in a long series on the work of Christian spiritual formation.  That is to say:  of the process by which we grow to maturity in Christ.  And to do this we take an in-depth look at what the Bible has to say about the goal and process of spiritual growth, as […]

We are born to grow. And for the first season of our life, growth is nearly inevitable.  Newborns will grow into toddler, toddlers grow into children, children to teens…  And all along the way, maturity increases as biology does its work (albeit with helpful or harmful inputs). But when we reach “adulthood,” strength, health…maturity…, becomes […]

Do Christians really believe that Jesus was fully divine?  And fully human?  Simultaneously?  It’s no easy pill to swallow, virgin births and all that…  And why does it matter?    In this episode, my friend and mentor, Mark Roberts, takes on these questions and many others as he explores Christian doctrine of the incarnation.  It […]

Every December the decorations return – banners with doves, cards declaring “Peace on Earth”…  And yet every year the headlines never change:  hardship, loss, injustice… How do we come to terms with the contradiction?  Is the biblical promise that God’s shalom (peace, rest, wholeness) is taking over creation to be believed?  Or is it (as it often […]

This episode is particularly personal to me. “Joy” is not a primary Winslow trait.  Hard work, honesty, responsibility, service to others…these are virtues I know well.  And to the degree that the Bible calls Christians to “rejoice,” I did my best to be optimistic for Jesus (whatever that means).  Often what it really meant was […]

Does God know I exist? Does he know the circumstances of my life? Does he hear me when I pray?  Does he care??? Such questions go back to the dawn of time and for most of human history, the answer has been: no.  The gods may exist, but their concern for humans was minimal! Mostly […]

What has Nietzsche to do with Christmas?  And what has either to do with rock bands, HIV and clean water?  In a word: hope. Having just described generosity as one of the highest virtues of the church, one of the surest signs that a community is following Jesus, we turn now to the content of […]

One of the surest signs an individual or community is following the Jesus way (of life) is that they possesses a thorough-going  spirit of generosity.  For them, it truly is better to give than to receive as they have every confidence that they will receive again.  Gifts are not to be clutched and hidden, but freely shared, […]

What sort of community should grow out of the biblical story?  A grateful one.  In this episode we explore the concept of hesed – the Hebrew word usually translated as “steadfast love.”  It is used throughout the Bible to describe the fundamental nature of God and is meant to explain why God is so committed to the work of […]

For centuries, “Kingdom work” was synonymous with the stuff pastors do – preaching, sacraments, general church-running…  This was the “eternal” work done for God, and the province of a small minority of God’s people who were “ordained” to the role. “Secular” work was what one did for money, not an equally important embodiment of Jesus’s ministry of […]

Conflict is the last thing anyone wants from their “church experience.”  After all, we go to church to feel better, to get a little uplift to face the week, right?  It’s the one place where we don’t have to deal with the typical human foibles of self-interest, pettiness, passive-aggression…right?  I mean, sure, we may have […]

Churches obsess about a lot of things.  Some things important (e.g., budgets and buildings and staff).  Most…not so much (from the minutiae of worship to revamping the website one more time).  And none of these the stuff that stands at the center of the biblical story.  So what should a church obsess about???  What should […]