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Grace is Messy

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Select a Month January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 June 2015 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 June 2013 April 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 September 2011 August 2011 May 2011 July 2010

October 2016

October 07, 2016

ASK STEVE #1: What is Grace?

The first question in my brand-new ASK STEVE series comes from a Twitter follower, who...

September 2016

September 30, 2016

How to Handle Anxiety, Discouragement, and Depression

It seems that sucky days are a universal experience. We can’t survive on an island....

September 29, 2016

Every Storm & Every Furnace: God is There

There is no storm that isn't subject to His whisper and there is no furnace...

September 20, 2016

Why I Believe Messy Grace Changes Everything

Four years ago, I would have never believed I would be a pastor again, or...

September 19, 2016

Faith and Doubt: Do We Really Have to Agree on Everything?

Have you ever been cut off by a friend? I don’t mean moving away and...

September 15, 2016

The Importance of Being Real

I blog often about how the power of vulnerability and transparency has changed my life....

September 11, 2016

Why I Trust God in the Midst of Tragedy

I am no longer the boy who intentionally memorizes Scripture, and I haven’t been the...

September 06, 2016

How to Reimagine Grace: Listen to This Powerful Interview Now!

For the first 28 years of my life, grace was just a beautiful old melody...

August 2016

August 31, 2016

This is My One Greatest Battle

Alzheimer's is a miserable disease. With my Grandfather, it’s the same story multiple times in...

August 26, 2016

How I Found God in All the Wrong Places

I didn’t plan for Jesus to meet me a few years back, in a little...

August 23, 2016

How to See Criticism as a Gift

As a writer, I am constantly submitting some part of my soul to someone else...

August 17, 2016

How To Sever Relationships: From a First-Year Ministry Student

At the age of twenty, I had all the answers. I remember judging a family...

August 16, 2016

The Gift of Difficult People

If Brennan Manning and Anne Lamott had a baby, the child’s name would be Mark...

August 15, 2016

One Hurting Group the Church Desperately Needs to Welcome

I long for the Church to echo the words of Christ, who said, “Come to...

August 09, 2016

Why Being a 90’s Kid in the Church was Scary as Hell

I just knew the Henchmen of Heaven would come and steal me away in the...

August 07, 2016

Jesus Taught Us How To Really Live a Blessed Life

The Bible says Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount once he saw his ministry...

August 05, 2016

How I Found Radical Grace in a Facebook Group

I have found a virtual community, via Facebook and this blog, which expresses love in...

July 2016

July 30, 2016

How to Stubbornly Abide in God’s Truth

When I was seasick as a teenager, we would immediately start looking for the sandbar....

July 29, 2016

It Really Sucks to be a Christian Right Now

I don’t like being a Christian today. Actually, I should say, I don’t like most...

July 29, 2016

How Jesus Taught Me That Compassion Can Look Like Outrage

We often read things about the blessed peacemakers. But when it came to broken people...

July 26, 2016

How My Marriage Destroyed My Shame

Lindsey stepped into the circle with me. She recognized my shame and fear. She knew...

July 25, 2016

Don’t Kick the Catfish: Thoughts on the 23rd Psalm

When I was fifteen, we took our annual trip to the beach. There I was,...

July 23, 2016

Why Donald Trump’s America Scares the Crap Out of Me

Donald Trump's America is anything but great. It is the home of the fearful and...

July 21, 2016

The Grace is Messy Top Ten Posts of All-Time

It’s my blogiversary! Six years ago, this week, I started blogging. It’s hard to believe...

July 20, 2016

What Will I do With My Straight White Privilege?

Earlier this week, I came face-to-face with my straight white privilege. I will never be...

July 18, 2016

9 Ways to Know if You’re in an Oppressive Church

For many people I know, Christianity has been boiled down to morality. It has become...

July 14, 2016

Here’s What God Can Do With a Wasted Life

The story of the Prodigal Son is a clear promise that God will restore the...

July 12, 2016

A Sorry-Ass Christian’s Guide to Tragedy

I haven’t checked on my friend Kevin Garcia in at least two weeks. His prediction...

July 11, 2016

How to Make Space at the Table

The stories throughout the book are absolutely wonderful. This is a father/son duo who obviously...

July 09, 2016

How to Win a Scholarship for My Online Recovery Group

The Grace is Messy Spiritual and Religious Recovery Group last four weeks. It includes a...