One of my favorite things is to be a part of the New Members class. It’s a room full of people ready to join the church and commit to The Journey of a Lifetime as they follow Jesus here with us. It’s a big step. And it’s my joy to be a small part … [Read More…] March 5, 2023

  Krista and I made a quick trip earlier this week to visit Dallas Theological Seminary. They invited me to speak in chapel on Tuesday morning, which was a real joy made doubly special by the fact that Monday would have been my Grandfather’s 95th birthday. My Granddad, Jesse Hensarling Jr., graduated from Dallas Theological … [Read More…] February 26, 2023

  When I was a kid growing up in church and attending Sunday school, I learned a lot of Old Testament stories and met some of my favorite heroes. I wanted to be like them.   I wanted to have integrity like Joseph. I wanted to be a leader like Moses. I wanted to be … [Read More…] February 19, 2023

  I have some encouraging news to share!   For the last two years, The Moody Church has participated in the Best Christian Workplaces Institute’s engagement survey, which helps Christian churches and non-profits understand their organization’s health and employee engagement in order to identify blind spots and build a flourishing workplace culture. Because we believe … [Read More…] February 12, 2023

  Winter can feel lifeless and stagnant. The trees are bare, the ground is frozen, and it seems like everything is locked in the cold teeth of death. Yet beneath the earth’s surface, life abounds. Rabbits are burrowing, worms are tunneling, and tree roots are plunging ever deeper. In fact, most of a tree’s root … [Read More…] February 5, 2023

  They say it takes a village to raise a child. Our family is living out that proverb this week. Krista and I are in the second year of our doctoral program at Wheaton College, and each semester we have a one-week intensive class in person. This is where the village comes in.   As … [Read More…] January 29, 2023

  Each year, two important days fall within a week of each other: Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Both are important occasions for us to draw out the implications of the Gospel for the broken world in which we live. After all, a Christian understanding of racial justice and … [Read More…] January 22, 2023

  A friend and I decided to grab a couple days of skiing this week. As I write this morning, I’m looking out on a wooded meadow with tall evergreens bowed low by freshly fallen overnight snow. Everything is calm, brilliant, and untracked. It’s gloriously pristine.   I’m reminded of David’s prayer of confession in … [Read More…] January 15, 2023

  Each year I have such good intentions. My New Year’s resolutions seem reasonable and achievable. I make a chart and begin with vigor! But then reality sets in. My self-discipline isn’t what I thought. Bad habits are stubborn things. Everything goes back to normal. And it’s only the second week of January!   I’m … [Read More…] January 8, 2023