by jakeowensby | Mar 17, 2023 | John 9:1-41, redemption
Brené Brown introduced me to the phrase “shame storm.” If you’re like me, you’ve been caught in one before. You just didn’t know what to call it. Shame storms can be triggered by all sorts of things, and they may take different forms for different people. But in...
by jakeowensby | Feb 10, 2023 | 6 Epiphany A, Forgiveness, Matthew 5:21-37
The parents of a newborn daughter overheard their toddler talking to his baby sister in her crib. The little guy said, “Tell me what it’s like to be close to God. I’m starting to forget.” This story has made the rounds. And even though it may not report an event that...
by jakeowensby | Feb 3, 2023 | Being Human, Matthew 5:13-20, salt of the earth
Sister Charleen pulled me aside after one of my high school English Literature classes. Noticing my uncharacteristic silence during the discussion, she asked, “Have you read the book?” We were studying The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I admired and respected...
by jakeowensby | Jan 19, 2023 | Lenten Study, Matthew 4:12-23
Despite the heat and humidity of late-July Florida, I strapped on my shoes for an afternoon run. The relief of getting out of the house and capturing a few quiet minutes on my own outweighed the threat of heat stroke. Andrew, our firstborn, was just a few weeks...
by jakeowensby | Dec 2, 2022 | God's love, Matthew 3:1-12
A dear old mentor of mine passed away a few years ago. But the lessons he taught still help me see things—see myself—a little more clearly. Maybe the most important of those lessons came in the form of a story he once told on himself in his usual self-deprecating...
