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Progress = complication

When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. ( ESV)

Progress = complication. That’s how I feel about our world. We live in a time where things are amazing! Technology has enabled amazing things in travel, in information, in medicine, in education, in 'you name it'. But to be honest, sometimes I day-dream about going back to simpler times, becoming a kid again with less complications.

: Andy Wulff; 28 October 2016

Barnabas, Son of Encouragement

Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. ( ESV)

Most of us want to be the superstar. We want to be famous. We want the adulation and notoriety. If we are trying to be pious we might fain humility but we would really like it if people whispered our name as we came in the room. The danger of this mindset is that, either overtly or secretly, we foster a wrong perception of ourselves and others. And even worse, we minimize who God has made us to be.

: Andy Wulff; 07 October 2016

A Missionary Visit

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. ( ESV)

If you grew up in the church, like me, a missionary visit meant cool things from faraway place, slideshows, stories of adventure, and massive amounts of guilt to-go. I remember one missionary weekend when a large snake skin was rolled down the aisle and I also got to shoot a poison dart blowgun. To be honest, the next week of ‘normal’ church was a bit of a let down. With those types of

: Andy Wulff; 21 October 2016

What does "Five Guys" have to do with the New Covenant?

In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”( ESV)

With the receipt nervously rustling through my fingers, I waited for my number to be declared across the loudspeaker. As it was called out, I felt that I was instantly the winner of the day. I grabbed the brown paper sack that was slowly becoming transparent, as the grease in its contents seeped through. Then as I dug through the fries, revealing the treasure of my Lil Bacon Cheeseburger - All

: Andy Wulff; 30 September 2016

Where is God when things around us are bleak?

About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. . . So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. (Acts 12:1-5 ESV)

Let’s be honest. Most of us are pessimist. Our outlook on the future is bleaker then our faded memories of the past. We sometimes then mask our fear with escapism, “God come and get us out of here!” And in moments of honesty we look around and wonder what is going on. Has God gone on vacation? Are we being judged? Did something slip by Him?

: Andy Wulff; 14 October 2016

Is Anyone Beyond the Grace of God?

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ( ESV)

If we are honest, we believe there are people that are beyond the grace of God. They might be someone in the news who actively and maybe even violently live opposed to Christianity. It might even be someone close to you who may not be opposed to the faith, but just ambivalent to it. But if we are honest in a "getting real" moment, we believe they are beyond God’s grace. Sometimes that

: Andy Wulff; 23 September 2016

Hope In Madison