Spirituality & Discipleship

This page is my storehouse for both my research about spirituality and discipleship AND the resources I’ve created to help leaders and seekers to grow spiritually.

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Missional Spiritual Formation leaders are called to cultivate growing disciples of Jesus who are equipped to discern God’s action in the world and empowered to participate in it.

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Spiritual Formation Posts

Colossians 2:6-7 | A Visual Commentary

Below is the text in the images above: Colossians 2:6–7 (NRSV) As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving....

Why Do We Say Jesus Christ is Lord?

Why do people say “Jesus Christ is Lord?” For many in our 21st century Western culture the phrase “Jesus Christ” is simply a curse word. Others may assume that “Christ” is Jesus’ last name. The term “Lord” seems archaic and oppressive. How is it relevant in a democratic society?

I would like to suggest that the terms Christ and Lord, when they were used in the first century, were an attempt to find unity in the diversity of a multicultural church that was divided into factions. I would also like to suggest that we need the spirit of these terms in the fractured and divided church today, just as much as they needed it then.

Reflecting on The Summer Journey of Art and Scripture

In this post I reflect on the 8-week summer journey of art and scripture. It was a very meaningful journey for me. I hope you enjoy it as well.

The Final Session of Our Summer Journey | Illustrating Colossians 2:6-7

What does it mean to be rooted, built up, and established in the faith? In the finale of The Summer Journey of Art & Scripture, we take a look at a brand-new comic book commentary created for Faith Lead Academy. Step inside the studio to explore Koine Greek syntax, first-century Roman history, and a hands-on digital painting workshop on the iPad—all leading to a life abounding in thanksgiving.

Established in the Faith | A Visual Meditation on Colossians 2:7

Is faith a rigid concrete monument or a relational place of safety? In this session, I redraw a pivotal section of Colossians 2:6–7 in Procreate. Discover how secondary color theology, the Greek concept of pistis (trust), and a pair of cupped hands transform our understanding of resting in God’s care.

Is Life a Line or a Circle? | A Contemplative Art Experience

What if the way you measure your spiritual growth is based on a flawed concept of time?
In our fast-paced, modern culture, we are subtly trained to view life as a straight line. We draw charts, track metrics, and calculate progress on an upward, left-to-right slope. We treat spiritual formation like a ladder: you start at the bottom as a struggling novice and climb toward efficiency, agency, and spiritual perfection.

But when Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven, he rarely uses the language of industrial progress or linear ladders. Instead, he talks about seeds quietly dying in dirt, yeast permeating dough, nets cast into mysterious depths, and tiny mustard grains expanding into sheltering trees.

In this Art Pastor Live session, we explored Matthew 13 alongside reflections on how different cultures understand time. By pairing Jesus’ parables with visual art, we paused to ask a fundamental question: Is life a line or a circle—and how does the Kingdom of God grow within us?

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Unpack this Image

Journeying in the Wilderness by Terri Elton

The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr

Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster

Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard

Belonging by Karoline Lewis

The Corner of Fourth and Nondual by Cynthia Bourgeault

The Critical Journey by Janet O. Hagberg

Renew Your Life by Kai Nilsen

Invitation to a Journey by M. Robert Mullholland Jr.

Acts of Faith: Meditations For People of Color by Iyanla Vanzant

Earth Crammed with Heaven: A Spirituality of Everyday Life by Elizabeth Dreyer

Thirsty for God by Bradley Holt

Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices by Brian McLaren

We Make the Road by Walking by Brian McLaren

Cultivating Sent Communities edited by Dwight Zscheile

Power Surge by Michael Foss

I have two favorite metaphors to discuss spiritual formation.

The first is a journey. Jesus called to his first disciples, “Follow me!” and they traveled with him as he demonstrated what it looks like to live in fellowship with God.

The first disciples in John 1:38 asked Jesus, “Where do you dwell?”

Jesus replied, “Come and See,” so they followed him.

To be a disciple of Jesus is to move, to explore, to grow.

But what is the destination?

That leads me to my second favorite metaphor. The Vine and the Branches.

Jesus said in John 15:1-5, “I am the vine and you are the branches…remain/dwell in me and I will remain in you, and you will bear much fruit.”

The destination of this journey is not a physical time or place. The destination is the love of God.

God’s love is infinite, therefore we will never arrive. We simply keep growing.

We go and grow in two directions.

First, we grow deeper roots to be grounded in the love of God.

Second, we grow taller and wider branches to spread the fruit of God’s love wider.

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The local church is the ideal place to grow spiritually. However, it is often difficult to do so. One of my ongoing projects is to experiment with how to cultivate spaces for people to grow spiritually. This article gives some basic outlines for how to think about this.

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