matt tullos: writer
Theological elitists, keep moving along. There’s nothing that will interest you here. Jacked-up sinners, like me, pay careful attention. We all need a few easy-to-remember axioms that get us through the day. As a man of habit who has struggled with self- condemnation through the years, I’ve white-knuckled these truths in the middle of my […]
There are many universal sayings that all mothers end up reciting at least once if not a thousand times. Wash your hands before eating. Play fair. Don’t follow the crowd. Be yourself. Trust me. Get some rest. Pull those weeds in the back or they’ll kill the tulips! Listen to your father. Don’t go out […]
Beware of the trap game. In sports, the trap game is a game played against an opponent generally deemed to be easy to defeat. As a result, a person or team may not prepare as they are looking ahead to next Sunday. For pastors, Mother’s Days are often trap Sundays. But there are a few traps we can […]
Public prayer is an awkward experience in most churches. It’s really a strange set of circumstances. Someone comes up to the microphone and is speaking to God and we are praying along. Hopefully. Sometimes, if you think about it, it would sound a little weird from God’s perspective. Prayer should be the ultimate spiritual communion between […]
I was having coffee with a friend the other day. He’s one of my favorite people in the universe and I love his take on the Bible and church. Our church models are very different. Still, we marveled that even though our churches are about as different as Switchfoot and Lecrae, we’ve both experienced the same […]
I’m always amazed how the church as a whole is so quick to throw rocks at the sheep in the fold. We question each other’s theology, spar over worship philosophy. We’ve got more fusses than one tongue can tell while outside the world is going to hell. We are driven by creeds, and motions, and […]
You and I came to the game late but we are invited to stay for eternity and as we worship God begins to teach us new concepts, new subtleties, new songs… What is God teaching you as you worship.? Here are a few things He’s been teaching me. When we worship, life becomes a festival rather […]
I am constantly amazed by the faithful love of Jesus. He champions the threshold of my beginnings and endings. He initiated the relationship and never lets go. I am still overwhelmed, surprised, consumed by His love. He is trustworthy, when I am sick. When I struggle with sin, he refuses to write me off. He […]
I was thinking this morning, (April Fools’ Day) how wonderful this day would be if Donald Trump held a press conference and said two words: “April Fools’!” Wow, Donald. You really got us. You got us good! We actually thought you were going to desire and win the office of President. You so funny. But […]
In the eighties, church job titles were pretty simple. We even had decision cards that you could fill out if you felt “called” to “special service.” You might feel called to be a _____ Pastor _____ Music Minister _____ Youth Minister _____ Minister of Education _____ Foreign Missionary (Check one.) That’s it. Check the nature of […]