Biblical Studies, Christian Living, Identity
John Beeson
The Worst Hall of Fame Ever!

Just recently my sister was inducted into the Stanford Hall of Fame. Sarah is a phenomenal athlete who was a stand-out high school athlete in swimming and softball. She went on to play softball for Stanford University where she batted .350 with 28 home runs over her career and was a three-time All American, eventually playing on the US Women’s National Team.

You might be familiar with some of the other members of Stanford’s Hall of Fame: Tiger Woods and John Elway are two of the other inductees. Sarah My is also a member of the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame alongside Tucson greats like Steve Kerr, Lute Olsen, and Sean Elliott.

The Worst Hall of Fame Ever!
Fear, Parenting, Family
John Beeson
The Trap of Fear-Based Parenting

She was one day old with the brightest, bluest eyes, a bald head, and the cutest little ears that stuck nearly perpendicular out of her head.

We checked out at the hospital's front desk and walked to our car with our baby girl in the car seat. As the safety officer checked out the security of our car seat base, a wave of fear came over me. Why would they let us take this beautiful baby home?

To be a parent is to experience fear. Will they be safe? Will they be bullied? Will they make friends? Will they like me? Will they survive a sexually confused world?

The Trap of Fear-Based Parenting
Recommendations, Christian Living, Church, Religion
John Beeson
This Week's Recommendations

  1. When bitterness becomes your religion, healing becomes heresy: Christopher Cook says, “But here’s the fruit of that belief system: the most anxious, entitled, bitter, and emotionally fragile generation in history. The world is not freer. It is more fractured. The culture of curated authenticity has not led us to peace, but to exhaustion.”

  2. Mortifying our desire: Keith Evans begins, “A young man once told me, “I never chose to feel this way. These attractions seem to have always been part of my life.” His honesty captures what so many experience—same-sex attraction often feels unchosen, even natural. But when we look to Scripture, we discover even that which may feel natural is not always good.”

This Week's Recommendations
Biblical Studies, Family, Suffering
John Beeson
Yesterday's Promise Might Be Today's Curse

Where would the bread come from?

Jacob heard his grandchildren’s whimpers as they rustled in the neighboring tents. He knew tears were running down their faces as their tiny empty bellies cried out.

Where would the next meal come from? The drought had devastated the crop.
Travelers from the North had spent the night. They carried bags of grain and shared news that the Pharaoh had storehouses of grain. They had met with his right-hand man, Zaphenath-paneah.

Seven years earlier, the Pharaoh was troubled. He couldn’t shake the nightmares. Skinny cows devouring fat cows, thin stalks of grain consuming fat stalks.

Yesterday's Promise Might Be Today's Curse
Christian Living, Gratitude, Relationships, Wisdom
John Beeson
Wanderlust and the Christian Life

“Oh the places you’ll go!” Dr. Seuss believed that the true achiever is an adventurer: “You’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air. Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.”

“We’re taking a vision trip to Florida,” our friends shared. Tired of the heat of the Sonoran Desert, they set out to find the perfect place for their family to settle. I’ve been part of several similar conversations. It’s healthy for couples to dream together. I’ve seen God weave those dreams into something that honors him and blesses others.

Wanderlust and the Christian Life
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How Changing Your View of Heaven Transforms the Way You Live Today

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How Changing Your View of Heaven Transforms the Way You Live Today

Heaven. Can you imagine what it’s going to be like?

There are lots of different views of heaven out there. A couple decades ago a cottage industry developed selling stories of those who said they had been to heaven while on death’s doorstep. We’re told of bright lights, lives re-played, and a warm glow. Others might daydream of harps and clouds, when asked to imagine heaven.

It all seems pretty harmless, really. What are the consequences of getting our view of heaven wrong? Especially when we can’t possibly know who is correct. Right?

But what if there are consequences to the way we perceive the afterlife? What would those be?

Let’s acknowledge that the Bible, not first-hand accounts, ought to be what frames our vision of heaven. What does the Bible say about heaven? And then we will ask what does that mean for our life now?

Heaven is not just heaven. Many Christians have been influenced by the Platonic notion that the afterlife is non-material. Heaven, for some, is understood as a purely spiritual destination. However, in scripture we are told that the eternal life of the saints is lived not just in heaven, but in “the new heavens and the new earth” (See Is 65:17, Is 66:22, and 2 Pet 3:13). Heaven is not a dreamlike state or merely spiritual, heaven is physical.

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A Career of Leadership Lessons: an Interview with My Mom, Pagie Beeson

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A Career of Leadership Lessons: an Interview with My Mom, Pagie Beeson

A few months ago my mom completed ten years as Department Head of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Arizona. She is now “retired” from that role and continues serving as a professor. My mom is one of the most skilled leaders I’ve had the chance to learn from. With her retirement as department head in the rear-view mirror, I took the opportunity to sit down with her in order to benefit from her insight.

When did you first think of yourself as a leader?

The first leadership position I recall was serving in student council in junior high. I didn’t think of it so much as leadership, rather, it was a way to get involved. I cared and I liked the people, so I was happy to serve. I’ve always thought that leadership is more about caring and guiding, than ambition or the desire to revolutionize things.

Over the course of high school and college I was asked to serve in various leadership capacities and was always willing to do so. Even as department head, I agreed to the position because I was asked to serve. At the time, I was the logical person. To be honest, I would have been happy supporting someone else in the role so that I could focus more on my research and teaching. But, I knew I could do it and I was willing to lead for the good of the group.

How do you view your calling as a leader?

I know that I’ve been given some gifts that are important for leadership. Perhaps my strongest abilities are relational; I typically work well with people. The interpersonal part of the role came easily, even when working with those with higher authority. It has never scared me because I always viewed administrators as people like everyone else, not just as authority figures, but real people whom I enjoyed getting to know.

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This Week’s Recommendations

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This Week’s Recommendations

  1. He Would’ve Come With Me: This is a beautiful story about how God can change hearts. He reflects, “It was, for me, one of the more miraculous heart changes I had ever seen. I remember thinking to myself, “If God can change this old man’s hatred toward Muslims, and replace it with love, well then maybe I’m not crazy for thinking God can change Muslims’ hearts as well.”

  2. Prioritize Your Church: Brent McCracken shares The Gospel Coalition’s heart that its readers would commit to the local church. He says as much as they want you to read their articles, they urge you theirs is something they want you to do far more. “But honestly, there’s an action we’d invite you to take that’s more vital to your spiritual health than almost anything you could click on (including here). What’s the action I’m talking about? Be committed to a church.”

  3. In the Beginning There Were No Canyons: I love this parable from Tim Challies with deep truths about our hearts and suffering. Here he describes the moment canyons were made, “So the Master spoke to the Skies and in an instant a great bolt of lightning leapt from the heavens to the earth, striking the Prairie with a heavy blow. The Prairie cried out in agony and for a long while mourned the gaping, jagged gash that had been left upon it—a deep, charred scar that contrasted sharply with the bright grasses and vivid flowers around. “Why, Master?” it sobbed in bewildered sorrow.”

  4. Jesus isn’t Scared of My Suffering: Bethany Barnard shares the story of her struggle with severe OCD and depression. Make sure you watch her music video as well. She concludes, “The hurdles of traumatic circumstances, doubt, and mental-health struggles no longer feel disqualifying to me as a Christian. They are an irreplaceable grace he gives to reveal his heart to us.”

  5. Magically Turning Into a Banana: This guy’s videos are fun.

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Signaling Our Consumption

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Signaling Our Consumption

I still remember how aghast my dad was when the Nike Swoosh became prominently displayed on apparel. “I can’t believe people are paying money to be walking advertisements!” he said in disbelief, “Nike should be paying them!”

No one bats an eye at such branding any longer. A brand stands not just for the product itself, it is a social signal, marketing not just the company, but the consumer.[i]

“Nowadays you shouldn’t have a company that is not contributing in some fashion or form or sense to a cause, because the people today who buy a product, they want to know what you have done for somebody else lately,”[ii] Fubu’s Daymond John reflected on his experience investing through Shark Tank.

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Consuming Worship

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Consuming Worship

The gathered people of God have always sung. Paul incorporates what appear to be familiar songs in his writing, John shares songs in Revelation, and the Psalms provided a hymn book for the early church. The earliest house church discovered in Syria dates to the early 3rd century AD and is covered with beautiful frescoes (one of which I include below). The church from the very beginning worshiped through art.

Gregorian chant developed in the 9th and 10th centuries and then expanded during the 16th century. The Reformers (with Martin Luther leading the way) wrote songs commoners sang along with.[i] A flood of church music was ushered in over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries as Baroque and Classical composers came on the scene and created timeless music for the church.[ii] But even with the advent of such a rich period of church music, it pales in comparison with what even the average churchgoer sings today. The pace of change has never been faster than it is today.

The church began to sing choruses in the 1970s, but they were catapulted to acceptance in the 1990s. Bands such as Delirious and Passion ushered in a new category of worship music that has dominated the Christian music industry and our sanctuaries for the past 30 years. Today we have access to worship music every waking hour through any host of devices and platforms.

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This Week’s Recommendations

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This Week’s Recommendations

  1. Rejection that Cuts Deep: Kath Thomas with a heartbreaking reflection on their son. She begins, “I have come to believe that rejection and separation from your child is one of the most painful experiences to carry. Seven months ago, my eldest son decided he could no longer have any connection with his family. That night we were in shock, we didn’t get to ask the questions we wished we had before he left, and even now, still don’t really know why he chose this path.”

  2. She is Broken, and She is Beautiful: I love this reflection on the church by Glenna Marshall. It begins with tragedy, “The phone rang before dawn that cold, January day. There’s never a good reason for calls so early; my heart pounded when I answered the phone. A dear church member was on the other end, her voice thick with tears and panic. Her husband died unexpectedly in the night. It was difficult to wrap my mind around this sudden news.”

  3. The Compromise of Sexual Ethics: Brent McCracken explores what has many Christians changing their ideology around sexual ethics. He begins, “Every week it seems new CCM stars, former Christian celebrities, or Christian college graduates announce “evolving” beliefs on Christianity—how their “deconstruction” journey is leading them to reconsider or abandon faith tenets they once believed.”

  4. How to Listen Well: This seems like such a simple thing, but it’s so important—especially in today’s world. Gem and Alan Fadling conclude, “The practice of listening can teach us to slow down inside, to focus our thoughts, to be humble and defer to others as they share. Listening can help us learn that we do not always have to be “on” or fix other people. The Lord Himself is working His own processes in each of our lives.”

  5. Meet Baby Olivia: A powerful 3-D graphic video of life developing in the womb.

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Producing for God’s Glory

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Producing for God’s Glory

I recently had the privilege of being a guest on the Romans 12 podcast. The topic my friend David Towne wanted me to dive into was time management and productivity.

You can find the podcast here. I hope you are encouraged by it.

Here are a few additional thoughts to add to our interview:

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A Prayer for 9/11

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A Prayer for 9/11

Twenty years ago terrorists brought down the Twin Towers. Our nation had to come to grips with the brazen evil set against it. Today, fears of terrorism have spiked as the mishandling of the pull-out in Afghanistan has empowered the terrorist organizations again.

In the face of grief and danger, our hearts naturally turn to fear, anger, and blame. Instead, God invites us to turn to him.

Would you join me in using Psalm 10 as a prayer for our hearts today?

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses[a] and renounces the Lord.

God, it is so hard to understand why you would allow evil in this world. It is such a challenge to see those who are wicked prosper. We come to you and ask why? Why do you not bring justice? Why do you not protect the defenseless?

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This Week’s Recommendations

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This Week’s Recommendations

  1. Why it Matters to Be Human: I have been wanting to write a similar post. Phil Cooke wrote it better. He talks about science, faith, and Covid. He begins, “One of the most tiring arguments on social media these days are from people who debate science versus religion. In so many cases, they don’t understand the purpose of each, and as a result, look in the wrong place for the answers they seek. It’s one of the reasons people who have no religious faith look on those who do as ignorant and backwards.”

  2. Have You Tasted Heaven? Tim Challies shares a simple story of a poor boy who tastes an orange for the first time. Have you ever tasted something so sweet you long to visit where it is from? There is a truth here for all of us.

  3. Americans Most Want to Avoid Fear and Anxiety, Gain Freedom and Safety: Lifeway Research’s recent poll reveals what Americans run to and run from. Asked what feeling they avoid most, “4 in 10 U.S. adults (41%) say fear. Far fewer say shame (24%) or guilt (22%). Around 1 in 10 aren’t sure.”

  4. What Motivates Sin (and How to Fight it): Amy Hall begins by explaining that sin is “…when you think you’re missing out on something good that you try to grab things God hasn’t given you in a way he hasn’t allowed. You think you’re missing out on something wonderful and that you need to rectify that situation in order to have a truly fulfilled life, when in reality, the only way to truly miss out is by not being obedient in the situation God has you in right now.”

  5. Will God Really Praise Us? John Piper answers this question, “What did you mean that we will be praised and glorified? Isn’t this for God alone? If not, what Bible verses would help this make sense to me?”

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How to Find a Home at (Almost) Any Church

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How to Find a Home at (Almost) Any Church

When was the last time you were at church? Maybe it’s been years. Just thinking of your last time at church might make you recoil a bit. Perhaps it was the music, the awkward coffee hour, the rambling sermon.

But perhaps there is something in you that has you wanting to try it again. A friend you respect invited you. Or maybe you have heard clips from the pastor that resonated with you. Do you risk going again? Or will it be another awkward experience?

Or perhaps you have spent a fair amount of time in churches, checking out this one because your friends go there, another one because you connect with the music, and a third, because you like the children’s ministry there. But no church is your home.

God has made you to be part of the community called his church. He purposes for us to be part of a local family of followers of Jesus. That’s both for your good and for the good of the church. You ought to miss the church (and the church ought to miss you!). There the Word is preached, God is worshiped, the people serve one another and the community through their gifts, and the light of God’s salvation shines to the world.

But how do you make the church home? Here are some recommendations:

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