Jason Vana: Becoming a Better Man

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Light Wins →

"Because when you’re wildly in love with someone, it changes everything."

— Francis Chan  (via sketchmedesire)

(Source: light-unshakable)

Healing Silence →

Photo Credit: Flickr User DaMongMan (Creative Commons)

I climbed into the car, placing my iPod in its nifty RoadTrip cradle and tried firing it up. I was a bit frazzled already. I had planned on leaving the house ten minutes earlier, but the mix of only getting 5 hours of sleep, and still getting over some jet lag had me moving slower than normal.

It’s not a good start to the day.

My hour-long commute to work has become my God-time. It’s when I’m able to listen to sermons, pray, spend time in worship. I knew no matter how frustrated I was, the next hour would change my mood.

I reached over to the iPod, ready for today’s round of teaching. I spun the wheel on the older-than-I-would-like-to-admit player, hit play and…it restarted.

GGGRRRRRRRR

Read more and join the conversation!

Advent Deeper: Loving the Misfit →

“Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”
Matthew 1:16

Love. It’s the core of the Christmas story.

Mary’s love for God, enduring the sneers and comments of being an unwed, teenage mother.
Joseph’s love for Mary, choosing to stay with her when he had every right to publicly shame her.
God’s love for His creation in sending His own son to earth.

You can’t read the Christmas story without coming face to face with the truth of love.

But there’s another aspect of love in the Christmas story we tend to overlook.

The genealogy of Christ.

Read more and join the conversation!

Advent Deeper: Loving the Misfit →

“Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”
Matthew 1:16

Love. It’s the core of the Christmas story.

Mary’s love for God, enduring the sneers and comments of being an unwed, teenage mother.
Joseph’s love for Mary, choosing to stay with her when he had every right to publicly shame her.
God’s love for His creation in sending His own son to earth.

You can’t read the Christmas story without coming face to face with the truth of love.

But there’s another aspect of love in the Christmas story we tend to overlook.

The genealogy of Christ.

Read more and join the conversation!

Actionless Acceptance →

Photo Credit: David Goehring (Creative Commons)

A false mindset exists telling us we can earn God’s acceptance.

Go to church, you’re doing good.
Read the Bible, you get extra points.
Pray every morning, and for more than five minutes, God is proud of you.
Tithe on a regular basis, you’re better than most Christians.
Go on a mission trip, help in a homeless shelter, lead someone to Christ and you are some kind of SuperChristian with God standing over you smiling.

We like relating our actions with God’s acceptance.
Because it’s easy.

It’s easy to go through the motions.
It’s nothing to read a few pages.
It’s expected to attend church every Sunday.
It’s exciting to go on a mission trip.

It’s easy to believe our relationship with God is going well if we’re doing the right things.

Read more and join the conversation.

Actionless Acceptance →

Photo Credit: David Goehring (Creative Commons)

A false mindset exists telling us we can earn God’s acceptance.

Go to church, you’re doing good.
Read the Bible, you get extra points.
Pray every morning, and for more than five minutes, God is proud of you.
Tithe on a regular basis, you’re better than most Christians.
Go on a mission trip, help in a homeless shelter, lead someone to Christ and you are some kind of SuperChristian with God standing over you smiling.

We like relating our actions with God’s acceptance.
Because it’s easy.

It’s easy to go through the motions.
It’s nothing to read a few pages.
It’s expected to attend church every Sunday.
It’s exciting to go on a mission trip.

It’s easy to believe our relationship with God is going well if we’re doing the right things.

Read more and join the conversation.

Acceptance Fulfilled →

Photo Credit: John Mayer (Creative Commons)

We crave acceptance.

It’s why we work out.
Purchase the latest and greatest toys.
Try to keep up with the neighbors.
Stay up on the latest fashion.
Buy cars we can’t really afford.
Publish pictures of ourselves online.
Strive to obtain more likes, retweets, reboots, or comments.

Deep down, we all want to be accepted.

Read more and join the conversation.

Acceptance Fulfilled →

Photo Credit: John Mayer (Creative Commons)

We crave acceptance.

It’s why we work out.
Purchase the latest and greatest toys.
Try to keep up with the neighbors.
Stay up on the latest fashion.
Buy cars we can’t really afford.
Publish pictures of ourselves online.
Strive to obtain more likes, retweets, reboots, or comments.

Deep down, we all want to be accepted.

Read more and join the conversation.