Vince wonders if Anthony Anderson & Kenya Barris' hilarious, smart, and courageous TV show Blackish leverages the popularity of the "family sitcom" genre to challenge the status quo in much the same way St. Paul leveraged the popularity of the ancient "household code" genre of writing to challenge the status quo of his day. Perhaps this can instruct us about how to think about our own households and families. (TRANSCRIPT ONLY)
Read MoreA memorable lyric from Les Miserables reflects that, “At the end of the day you're another day older. And that's all you can say for the life of the poor. It's a struggle, it's a war.” Whether Pre-Revolution France, the 1st Century Greco-Roman culture of St. Paul's time, or Modern American cities like Chicago, what can be done about the fact that the Rat Race most negatively impacts the marginalized of society? (TRANSCRIPT ONLY)
Read MoreOn the chance that you might appreciate some suggestions about how to pray after a tragedy like the Orlando shooting, Vince passes on what's helping him right now as he processes his emotions and grief.
Read MoreItalian actor/director Roberto Benigni's hilarious and powerful Academy Award acceptance from the 1999 Oscars offers, we think, a picture of a famous encouragement from St. Paul about tapping into God's ability to see beyond the rat race experience of life.
Read MoreWhether the Greco-Roman rat race of 1st century Colossae, or the modern American rat race of today, human beings have always been (and maybe always will be) surrounded by messaging and social pressure that is high-anxiety & soul-sucking. Maybe a way to regularly escape this messaging and pressure is one of the biggest benefits of following Jesus...
Read MoreFollowing the trail of where my money goes can, maybe surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly), help me make self-discoveries about what sorts of things my heart is invested in. And, if that's true, maybe my money gives me an opportunity to awaken in me genuine passion and inspiration and spiritual alive-ness.
Read MoreWe made a big announcement at our Stakeholders Celebration last Sunday (May 15th) - listen in!
Read MoreFeeling recognized is an unavoidable need we all feel. Looking to other people or our a built-up image or reputation to meet that need sadly just never seem to fill the bill. Jesus' promise is that God wants to reward us with a sense of recognition in private that we could never get in public.
Read MoreConnecting with God as a mother is an often-missed opportunity. BLV's pastors share stories of their own mothers and the ways their mothers have reflected God's heart to them.
Read MoreCounselors wisely tell us that the judgments we pronounce say more about us than about who we are judging. Jesus' words on forgiveness, understood properly, offer surprisingly practical advice along these lines.
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