"You shall consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you shall return to your property, and each of you shall return to your family." — Leviticus 25:10Consider these provocative words by Walter Brueggeman from Sabbath as Resistance. “Sabbath is not only resistance; it is an alternative. Sabbath offers both the awareness and practice of the claim that we are on the receiving end of the gifts of God.... To be so situated is a staggering option because we are accustomed to initiating all things. I have come to believe that the fourth commandment on the Sabbath is the most difficult and urgent commandment in our society because it calls us to an intent and conduct that defy the fundamental demands of a commodity-driven society - one that thrives on control, entertainment, bread, and circuses, and requires 24/7 multitasking to achieve, accomplish, perform, and possess.” Pause with me for a moment and try on this reality. The joyous restoration of land to its original owners. Debts canceled—forever. Slaves released from bondage. Relationships healed. Even the land recovers its vitality with extended rest from sowing and reaping. Spiritual renewal and re-creation as the community shifts from striving and acquiring to pausing, noticing, receiving, forgiving, reconciling, celebrating, and resting.In The Year of Jubilee, biblical scholar John Bergsma invites readers to consider how God is calling His people to a collective, life-saving practice - one that preserves freedom, family, and the fullness of God in a fallen world that has lost its ability to rest and to heal.What lies behind Yahweh’s profound directive and promise of Jubilee, first given to the people of Israel to reform them? How was it ultimately fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Messianic King?Given to the people of God 3,500 years ago, this ancient rhythm feels like a long-lost key to life’s riddle. How can we participate in this biblical pattern of stopping and settling in, of forgiveness and renewal?And what might we say to the curious—or to those who think we are out of our minds?Join us as we explore The Sabbath of Sabbaths, inviting you more intimately into our story and walking alongside you as you discern what God may be calling you into in yours.For the Kingdom, Morgan & Cherie

What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself. Luke 12:19-32 MSGFriends,Our initiation into wholehearted maturity and deeper union with Christ unfolds over decades of learning to practice without pressure.Perhaps nowhere is this invitation more hopeful than in parenting.Of all the questions I receive, none are more common than questions about fathering—and none consistently carry within them more weight of pressure and fear or confusion.Pause and consider for a moment: What would it be like to shift from a posture of performance into a posture of practicing without pressure? What would it be like not only to understand but also to accept the reality that our children’s lives are held in the hands of a present, caring, and beautifully winsome Father? In the ordinary rhythms of daily life as a dad, what would it be like to encounter God, recognize His presence, feast on His goodness, and, from that nourished place, carry His very essence into the sacred journey of fathering our children?It would change the world.Dare I say, it is changing the world.We are men choosing to become the kind of fathers to whom God is glad to entrust His Kingdom—His rule, His presence—that we might generously reveal His unrelenting affection to our children.Moms and dads, join us for Part 2 as we explore together the hope and promise of participating in the story of our becoming—the story God is authoring in and through our journey of fatherhood.For the Kingdom,MorganP.S. For more parenting resources, explore more with the free Becoming a King Parenting Devotional and this blog, Celebration of Boyhood.

Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Matthew 7:12 MSGFriends,Few questions come my way as consistently and sincerely as questions about the desire and dilemma of initiating children—particularly sons—into wholehearted maturity. And few aspects of my own initiation have received more of my attention.On behalf of the boys in our world—and the boy within every man (myself included)—I want to invite both men and women to join this roundtable on Initiating Sons.Often beneath our questions about parenting lay fear, shame, or a nagging sense of lack, fueling a persistent apprehension that we are blowing it royally both in what we do and what we leave undone as parents.But if we pause long enough—choosing curiosity over fear and consent over control—we may discover that below our fear lies one of the Gospel’s most profound invitations: the invitation to become what we did not have. And as we become, we will naturally offer and initiate from our transformation.Our role as fathers will eventually evolve into an unbreakable bond of siblinghood with our children in the Kingdom of God—where each of us is deeply loved and securely rooted in the heart of our Common Father.Join us for Part 1 of a conversation exploring both the pain and possibility of being initiated—and of offering initiation to our sons.For the Kingdom,MorganP.S. For more on initiating boys, check out these blogs: An Arsenal, a Library, and a Tool Collection and The Gospel as Initiation.

In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects.Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity.Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.– Matthew 5:48 MSGThe invitation of the Gospel is stark and unrelenting: Come and die in order to live. It is strange and compelling that Jesus, who healed so many, never once chose to heal his own disciples instantaneously. Instead, he continually beckoned them to the weightiest of challenges, probing the very depths of their souls—both the masculine and the feminine within them—daring them to come and die at the deepest levels of their human experience:Pick up your cross and follow me.If you want to save your life, you must lose it.You cannot serve God and money. You cannot serve God and power.Leave everything you’ve ever known, and follow me.Unless you surrender all to me—giving up everything, father, mother, sister, brother—you cannot be my disciple.Jesus’ language to his disciples is a language of initiation. He shaped and implemented a culture where men and women can realize their God-given identities. And from generation to generation, he guides his followers into a lifestyle of ever-increasing maturity through loving challenge.If we allow our lives to speak, we will hear Reality inviting us to pass through a death and experience rebirth. At every moment, Jesus is freshly inviting us onto the ancient path of initiation. It is the center of his brilliant and loving work.You cannot discipline your way out of woundedness and brokenness. At the same time, you cannot heal your way out of immaturity. Jesus’ way with the disciples is both: to heal and mature. By day and by decade, he not only heals what is lame in us but trains us to join him in walking on the water.Join me and Conrad Schottel for a conversation as we dare to let Jesus lovingly challenge us.For the Kingdom,

Sam Jolman, author of "The Sex Talk You Never Got," shares profound insights into masculine sexuality and the nuances of emotional regulation. He encourages curiosity in understanding the root of sexual shame and contrasts it with the powerful force of kindness. Jolman explores fundamental needs in relationships, emphasizing beauty and connection, and reflects on the importance of savoring simple joys. He advocates for reclaiming masculine sexuality as a means of healing both individual and community wounds.

In this engaging discussion, Sam Jolman, a Christ-centered therapist with over 20 years of experience, shares insights from his book, "The Sex Talk You Never Got." He explores how societal pressures create shame around masculine sexuality and highlights the transformative power of vulnerability and self-exploration. The conversation dives into the importance of emotional connection in relationships, the value of sensuality beyond mere sexual intimacy, and the need for deeper trust in connections. It's a journey towards reclaiming innocence and understanding one's identity.

Dive into a journey of deep self-reflection and spiritual growth. Explore the powerful practice of examen to uncover authenticity during life’s transitions. Discover the impact of gratitude and emotional awareness on your spiritual journey. Reflect on significant relationships and divine encounters that shape you. Navigate the complexities of partnership and grief in personal growth. Embrace the transformative power of forgiveness while making space for new beginnings, all wrapped up in heartfelt prayers and blessings.

"You should not be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again.'" – Jesus of Nazareth Dear Friends, Advent is upon us—a season not merely of waiting but of planting, where the seed of hope is buried deep in the soil of time. It is the prologue to Christmas when the Author Himself stepped onto the stage of His own story. But like all great stories, this one is layered. Beneath the glitter and sentiment of the season lies a truth so profound it shakes the foundations of our reality: that life springs from death, joy from suffering, and rebirth from what we thought was the end. Have you ever considered what it truly means to be born again? Cast aside, for a moment, the tattered clichés and the defensive armor we often wrap around such words. To be born again is not a slogan or a doctrine but the startling, living reality of God’s relentless affection—an affection that invades every shadowed corner of the human heart. The Incarnation of Christ is not merely an event in history; it is the eternal declaration that God has chosen to make Himself known not in distant thunder but in the fragile cry of a child. And yet, it is more. It is an invitation—a call to enter into a union so mysterious, so vivid, that we find ourselves remade, again and again, until we come to know the safety and intimacy that Christ Himself knew with the Father. This, my friends, is the heart of the process of salvation. It is not merely a rescue from peril but the restoration of our true selves, rooted in divine love and revealed in our human relationships, by day and by decade. Every celebration of the Incarnation is pregnant with the invitation to come, taste, and see. And here lies the wonder: this salvation is not a far-off promise. It is here, now, within reach of the humble and the weary, waiting to be received by you and by me. This Advent, let us pause amidst the noise and receive this gift afresh. Let us prepare to experience the miracle of new birth, of first breath, as we are drawn ever deeper into the life of the One who has come to make all things new. For the Kingdom, Cherie and Morgan

I had always felt life first as a story—and if there is a story there is a storyteller. – G. K. Chesterton Friends, The human soul craves meaning, just as the body needs food and water. On our journey of masculine initiation, our souls long for the stories of others to illuminate our own. Stories are the language of the heart. They nourish us, bring meaning to our lives, and, most importantly, disrupt and inspire us to take heart once more, drawing us back to the ultimate Storyteller. Our stories begin with God, are sustained by God, and are guided by him toward a flourishing finish. Through his grace, we discover an extraordinary truth: we are not called to avoid failure but to entrust it to God’s redemptive and undefeated story of love. Greg Lindsey embodies this courage. As a husband, father, grandfather, and shepherd to his church community, he invites others into a deeper connection with God and their own stories. Join me as we explore the universal and personal landscape of one man’s redemption story. You won’t want to miss it. For the Kingdom, Morgan P.S. For those interested in Greg’s work, he recently wrote The Rest of Your Story, a book for men and women to consider the depth and possibility of a life in God’s Kingdom.

Love, as Paul and the New Testament present it, is not action— not even action with a special intention—but a source of action. – Dallas Willard Friends, Thousands of years ago, Saint Paul penned his breathtaking discourse on Love.  It’s been misunderstood, watered down, and robbed of its beauty by overuse. Yet the life of God still pulses through, if we but let these old words visit us in a new way: Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete…but Love never dies.” Love begets compassion. Compassion begets connection. Connection begets love.  And Love wins. Let's dive into Part 3 of this series as we revel together in the consummation of compassion and love. For the Kingdom, MorganP.S. Here are the resources mentioned in this episode: 088: Blurring the Lines of Family and Vocation 091: Soulcraft with Sam Jolman Become Good Soil Comfort Survey