Category: Faith
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The Garden, the Tower, and the Cross | Why Business Success Isn’t Always a Win
My wife and I have built a thriving company. By every external measure, there’s no doubt that Block Ten Strategy is succeeding. We’re making more money than we ever thought. Our costs are absurdly low. We’re working with world-class clients that appear on Forbes listings and the Fortune 500. But there is a restlessness in…
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15 Shifts for a Volunteer Ministry that Thrives
I’ve been in ministry—both at a volunteer and vocational level—for twenty-two years. In that time, I’ve seen the beautiful, the miraculous, and the traumatizing. My own story started when I was twelve years old. I began as the all‑around set‑up assistant (which made no sense given my practically malnourished frame). I helped stack and carry…
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Short Term Missions or Vacation? A Call for a Heart Check
Are today’s modern-day short term mission trips advancing the gospel or feeding Christians’ wanderlust? This isn’t an easy blog to write. I know that it’ll probably get backlash. But something has to be said. There seems to now be an extremely blurry line between genuine missions and vacation-style travel. And as harmless as it may…
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Serving God Isn’t the Only (or Even the Best) Way to Honor Him
What comes into your mind when you’re commanded to “honor God?” If you’re anything like me— far from beautiful or inerrant— your initial thoughts are to serve Him. We need action. We need to do stuff for God. Some quick resolutions might be action points like serving in the ministry, giving your tithes and offerings,…
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We Don’t Talk About This Person Enough on Holy Week
Holy Week is here, and it’s a time to remember Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. That story is central to the Christian faith and the main theme we celebrate at this time of year—and hopefully every other time as well (topic for another time). But this Holy Week, I’ve been reflecting on another character in…
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Why So Sad? The Science Behind What Makes Us Happy
Human beings have long been on this quest to become happy. We chase after hedonistic pleasures, seek success, and chase after experience and material things all because we want to be decidedly happy. Sadly (no pun intended), not everyone experiences true happiness. And it’s not for a lack of effort. Why do so many people…
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I Was Wrong About My Calling
Will your calling always bring meaning, joy, and success? Or could it be the reason why your life is an absolute mess? I once had coffee with this guy who was highly successful, influential, and rich. He was a man on a mission, doing a lot of good for others and living out his calling.…
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Should Christians Listen to Skeptics and Atheists?
A few years ago, at the height of “The Story of God” by Morgan Freeman’s release, I wrote an article about it and encouraged believers to start listening to atheists more. Not many were happy with the post. “That’s absurd. What if I turn into an Atheist myself?” wrote one commenter. I didn’t respond because…
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The Good News that Broke All News
Today, breaking news continues to propagate throughout social media of one of the most significant COVID-19 case tallies since lockdowns started in the Philippines. In times like these, it’s easy to think that we’re on the road to nowhere. It’s easy to lose hope. I’m not the type of person that would ever downplay bad…
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“Good Samaritan”: On Civil Discourse and Social Media Bashing
Anyone who’s seen my social channels in recent days will know that I’ve been posting a lot about civil discourse and its importance in the hyper-connected digital world we live in. Nowadays, it seems that social media has done more to divide people more than connect. There are divisions in political, religious, social, medical, and…
