February 20th, 2026

Every other Friday, I share three things that moved me, strengthened my heart, or shifted my perspective over the past few weeks. I hope they do the same for you.

1. How To Live With Doubts

There is just something about how Alan Noble tackles the subject of anxiety and doubts. I’ve not been someone who struggles with OCD or anxiety but certainly know many who do. But I have had intrusive fear-inducing thoughts (I have a teen driver and another one on-deck). I found this article helpful and God-dependent which really is the direction our hearts must take.

“Whether you have OCD or not, we all must live with intrusive and obsessive doubts at some point or another. Waiting anxiously for a loved one to come home late at night and speculating about a car crash, hearing someone cough and worrying about getting the flu, or fearing you said the wrong thing. Whatever it might be. Some of us are more temperamentally prone to these thoughts than others. But in the end, we all must learn to trust our God-given senses rather than be seduced by the wilderness of the imagination. And that means trusting that God loves us enough to take care of us. Not that he won’t ever let any difficult things happen to us, but that he will work our good through those difficult times. Because he loves us. That’s his promise to us. So we focus on what is relevant in the here and now and trust in the One who preserves us through the here and now.”

How to live with doubts

2. Something Big is Happening

If you’ve got a pulse and take breaths regularly then the chances are strong that you are talking about the effects of AI on life. It seems overnight AI has become common place, but according to Matt Schumer we aren’t even aware of what’s happening or what’s coming and how quickly it will be here.

My Lawyer bro-in-law sent me and my wife this article. He has had to adjust his law firm to stay on the cutting edge of AI within his field. He sees how important it is for his business’ survival. We’re on a precipice of something…we’re all just wondering what. I thought this article was insightful, a little long but worth the read (you could just have AI read it to you) :)

I am no longer needed for the actual technical work of my job. I describe what I want built, in plain English, and it just... appears. Not a rough draft I need to fix. The finished thing. I tell the AI what I want, walk away from my computer for four hours, and come back to find the work done. Done well, done better than I would have done it myself, with no corrections needed. A couple of months ago, I was going back and forth with the AI, guiding it, making edits. Now I just describe the outcome and leave.

Something Big is Happening

3. HOLY BOPPIN

This has been playing in my car. My 18 year old son loves to create music, hip hop, instrumental beats, etc. he recently turned me onto this 19 year old, Northampton-based rapper with the artist name DC3. He’s blending his Zimbabwean heritage with a solid Christian message. And it’s really fun and creative. He’s talented. Start here and then listen to Seek.

A Question for You:

Which of these three resonated most with where you are at today? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Ryan

February 6, 2026

Every other Friday, I share three things that moved me, strengthened my heart, or shifted my perspective over the past few weeks. I hope they do the same for you.

1. Practicing the Presence of People: How We Learn to Love

I was talking on the phone the other night with my good friend Chris and he mentioned a new (old) book he was reading called Practicing the Presence of People: How We Learn to Love. At first, my mind went to Brother Lawrence's famous book The Practice of the Presence of God, which I read years ago and still think of often. Certainly, the author of this book, Mike Mason, had Lawrence’s book in mind when choosing a title. I grabbed a copy on my Kindle and jumped in. I’m so glad I did. The Lord has been healing my heart from some pretty tough few years in ministry (maybe one day I’ll write on that), and this was just the book I needed. God’s using Mike’s words to continue to break up hardened soil in my heart, painfully digging deeper so that the light will break through. Here are a few quotes:

“A good friend of God will not be able to restrain his love for people. Do you love God? Look at the person beside you and you’ll know...”

”It’s true: There’s a brightness in the human face that is almost too bright for human eyes. It seems we can look at each other only so long before we must turn away. Perhaps we are too used to being blind, too accustomed to living in the dark. If we could really see what is right in front of our eyes, we’d see the invisible, too.”

”To practice the presence of people is to enter into the prayer life of God by seeing people His way.”

2. Andrew Peterson

Last night, my family and I met up with my sister and her husband to see Andrew Peterson in concert. Oh my! Every good concert has at least one moment when you are so present with the music/art/beauty of it all that that moment lives with you forever. (My moment’s list includes Amy Grant, Coldplay, U2, and John Mayer, to name a few). But last night, oh my, too many of those moments of mind, heart, and soul, enraptured in the melody, words, heart, music, and vulnerability of the songs. So while I can’t post all of those moments from last night, I’ll post the one that left me in tears. Before playing The Rain Keeps Falling, Andrew had us learn the refrain “Peace, be still” and directed us to sing when it came time…and stated, this is the Holy Spirit’s song. In 5:08, my heart was comforted, strengthened, and maybe just a little more healed. What a moment!

3. East of Eden

My family and I started a new tradition this past Christmas. We each grabbed some of our own money and took a trip to Barnes & Noble. But before we left the house, we drew names; the name drawn was the person you’d buy a book for. This was more fun than I had imagined, and we’re already planning to do it again next year. We all spread out and tried to hide the chosen book from each other, working to check out without being seen. It was fun to see my 12-year-old daughter do all this on her own (I wasn’t peeking). My son drew my name and bought me John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. This is a big book, and I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d tackle it right now. But I’m so so glad I did, or better yet, that I am! I’m more than halfway through the book and find myself thinking about these amazingly written characters often. There is a reason classics are classics. It is a timeless story where no word is wasted. I hear Netflix is doing a series this year, and I'm debating whether I will water down my experience by watching. A few quotes:

“And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.”

“Do you take pride in your hurt? Does it make you seem large and tragic? ...Well, think about it. Maybe you're playing a part on a great stage with only yourself as audience.”

“When a man says he does not want to speak of something he usually means he can think of nothing else.”

A Question for You: Which of these three connected most with where you are at today? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Ryan

John begins his letter in 1 John with something beautifully earthy:
“We heard Him. We saw Him. We touched Him.”

He’s not being poetic. He’s being extremely concrete, almost intrusive in the way he insists on the physicality of Jesus. Why, because it matters over all things. Because so many of us try to build our faith on moods, moments, or spiritual adrenaline hits… and then wonder why our faith wanes when life gets boring or worse, painful.

John says, start and end here:
Jesus was real enough to hear His breathing.
Real enough to watch His face change when He laughed.
Real enough to feel the weight of His hand on your shoulder.

Imagine the apostle as an old man writing these words, replaying the memories that burned in his mind—the warmth of leaning against Jesus at the Last Supper, the steady grip that pulled him out of fear, the way the risen Christ spoke his name, John.

John isn’t giving us an abstract doctrine.
He’s giving us a Person.

And saying: Build your faith on this, or better yet Him.
Not the high of a worship night.
Not the goosebumps of a spiritual moment.
But on the untouchable God who became touchable… and invites you to touch Him. See Him. Hear Him. Know Him.

He is the God you can touch.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how easy it is to try to live the Christian life without actually living from the new heart Christ has given us.

In Ephesians 4, Paul says something that’s been pressing deeply on my own heart: “Put off your old self… be renewed in the spirit of your minds… and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God.” This is more than just behavior change. It’s transformation from the inside out. And it’s not casual—it’s costly. It’s a call to die to what was and live in what’s now true of us in Christ.

But here’s the thing—I still reach for the old clothes sometimes. The old reactions, old attitudes, old ways of self-protection or self-promotion. Maybe you do too. And the truth is, they don’t fit anymore. They feel familiar, but they’ve grown stiff, heavy, and lifeless. Christ has given me something new. A new heart. A new identity. A new way of being human.

And yet—I can’t walk in this new life by willpower alone. I need grace. Real grace. Not just to forgive, but to transform. Not just to save me from sin, but to teach me how to live free. Titus 2 says that grace trains us—it’s like a patient parent, showing us how to walk, how to stand, how to become who we already are in Christ.

This is our invitation: not to live pressured by rules, but drawn by love. To put off the old because Jesus is better. To speak truth, pursue peace, forgive boldly, and build up the church—not because we’re trying to earn anything, but because we’ve already been given everything in Christ. We live from it.

There’s grace for today. Grace to walk in the new. Grace to lay down what doesn’t belong anymore. Grace to live out of our new hearts. Grace to experience His presence and receive new affections.

(based on a sermon I preached at Bridgeway Church on July 27th, 2025)

It was painted in 1858 by Paul Weber, and entitled Scene in the Catskills. For me, it captures a feeling. Or better yet it leads me to a quiteness that my redemeeded heart longs for. Maybe it represents a sacred space and beauty that I’m seeking, maybe it reminds me of my calling to live a peaceful and quiet life in the Lord. Maybe it shows me that I was created for more than concrete and automobiles, but for spaces and places to breathe in the prescense of the one who created it all.

A few years ago, my family and I took a tour of Talking Rock Caverns in Missouri. We still often reminisce about the 150 steps that led us deep into the earth, along with the countless stalagmite and stalactite formations that filled the caverns, some reaching heights of 40 to 50 feet. But what remains fixed in our memories is the moment when we all experienced true darkness. During our hour-long tour, there was a planned moment when all the installed lights were turned off, and there we were, 150 feet beneath the earth's surface in pitch-black darkness. Selah. Although it lasted only a few seconds, that brief darkness left a profound impression. The absence of light was overwhelming, almost too much to handle, and in the darkness, all I longed for was to see —I wanted light.

The wonderful truth that scripture tells us is that light always triumphs over darkness (John 1:5). Light and darkness are not equal opposites; light prevails 100% of the time. Strike a match in Talking Rock Caverns, and it transforms everything instantly. Darkness can never completely overshadow the light; light always wins—without fail! 1 John 1:7 offers a beautiful blueprint for living the life we were meant to live. It captures the essence of living in Christ and His church. Life begins with Light. We were never created to live concealed lives, hidden in darkness. We were made for Light. Made for fellowship with God and with one another. Warmed and made alive by Light. By "walking in the Light" (which means, in essence, living in His very nature—'the Light' as in 1 John 1:5), we engage in friendship with Him. And this friendship with Him leads to authentic fellowship with other believers. We are capable and free to welcome a nurturing community into the depths of our hearts. This is the key ingredient in the recipe for life, and as we "walk" in it, we experience it.

At the same time, as we walk in the Light, we are being cleansed of our sins. This passage does not speak of the initial justification through His blood, but of the ongoing sanctification that happens as we walk in the Light. By enjoying friendship with Him and the saints, we partake in the privilege of being purified through the blood of His Son, Jesus. Christ's blood is the means of purification. As David Brown stated in his commentary on 1 John: "…being already justified and in fellowship with God, we become clean from all sin that would hinder our fellowship with God. Faith applies the cleansing, purifying blood."

Light always conquers darkness, and living life in the Light results in the cleansing of our sins through His blood. So, where are you hiding? Let Light change the atmosphere of your soul's cavern. We long for fellowship with God and with one another, and we also desire to be cleansed of sin. The recipe Christ has provided for life fulfills these yearnings.

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"How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God."
—Psalm 84:1–2

"Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!"
—Psalm 105:4

“God will manifest His presence to you in congregational worship in ways you can never know even in the most glorious secret worship. That’s because you are not only a temple of God as an individual, but the Bible says (and far more often) that Christians collectively are God’s temple... God manifests His presence in different ways to the ‘living stones’ of His temple when they are gathered than He does when they are apart.” Donald Whitney

I long to be a church that is pursuing deep discipleship while passionately seeking the manifest presence of God.

We are to be formed into the image of Christ through the means of grace God has given us: His Word, preaching, communion, fellowship, worship, prayer, fasting, and sacrifice. We walk faithfully through trials and suffering. We live peaceable and quiet lives—a long obedience in the same direction, as Eugene Peterson described it.

But alongside this, we pursue His presence. Actively. Expectantly. Eagerly.

We long to see hearts transformed in a moment. The lost saved. The saved awakened—repenting, re-centering their lives on Christ and His commission. To see evangelism unleashed—fruitful and multiplying—because the church is alive in His Spirit.

I believe both of these must exist in Christ’s Church: Faithfulness and Experience.

Faithfulness is the daily path of discipleship. It's the slow, steady shaping of our lives into the likeness of Jesus. Basic training in following Jesus. Ordinary obedience in the place God has called us, to live under the waterfall of his transformative grace.

Dallas Willard once said,

“Every church ought to ask two questions: What is our plan for making disciples, and is that plan working?”

Every member of Bridgeway will be called, exhorted, and equipped to grow in Christlikeness—through gathering with the saints, practicing the disciplines, confessing sin, committing to community, putting to death the flesh, rejoicing in suffering, producing endurance, character and hope.

And we also long for more.

We also hunger for the manifest presence of God—the tangible, transformative nearness of His Spirit among us and within us when we gather. To be a church that experiences God by knowing Him, not only knowledge of Him. Deep intimacy fueled and encouraged by presence and power.

Moments where the Spirit descends.
Conviction awakens.
Desires for holiness are born.
Miracles released.
Worship.

“Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.”
—1 Corinthians 14:12

When the Spirit moves among us, evangelism erupts. We can't help but give Jesus—to our coworkers, friends, family. How could we not, when the Living God is in our midst?

Yes, God is omnipresent (Psalm 139). But His manifest presence awakens our awareness. It stirs our affections. It disrupts our distractions. It fills us with joy.

We glimpse this every week in communion—where bread and wine awaken our awareness of Christ’s nearness. We don’t climb the mountain to get to God—He came down to us in Christ and gave us His Spirit. He is near. We simply show up and seek.

Our entire worship gathering is structured around this pursuit. We are not chasing emotionalism. We are seeking God. We are relying on the Holy Spirit—not manufacturing experiences, but making room for Him.

The goal is not hype—it’s His presence.
The aim is not to feel better—it’s to enjoy Him more deeply.

God’s manifest presence is something we feel, experience, enjoy, and adore.
And when Psalm 105:4 commands us to “seek His presence continually” (literally, His face), it’s a call to seek with our whole being—heart, mind, soul, and strength—not just to believe He is present, but to know it, sense it, respond to it.

We want more joy in Christ.
More glory to God.
More power in our witness.
More love for one another.

“The work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world, and especially in the church.” - Wayne Grudem

This is my heart for Bridgeway.
To be a church who walks in deep discipleship and in a passionate pursuit of the presence of God.
I believe this has always been God's heart for us.
It’s time.