Tyler Braun's Blog, page 17

3 Years Later, My First Book

3 years ago this month my first published book was released. Why Holiness Matters: We’ve Lost Our Way But We Can Find it Again was my attempt at telling my story in a way that would help others see that their own struggles did not impede them from living the life God desired for them. I never thought I had a book in me, but through a lot of support, prayer, and hard work I created something I am legitimately proud of.

Eighteen months prior to the release the man who would end up being my mai...

The Discipline of Secrecy in the Age of Shareability

Today’s students are growing up only knowing a life of constant connection to people through social networks. Because of this there’s an increasing dependency upon the community to help provide the basis for the identity of an individual, through likes and double-tapped hearts. When everything is shared, and all of life’s major moments are uploaded, the reaction of these digital clicks fuels whether we see ourselves as successful, acceptable, and loved.

Through the community, we form our ide...

It Takes a Village

You know the saying, “it takes a village to raise a child.” I believe this to be true. In the child dedications at our church we purposely ask the church family to join with the parents in raising the child presented. We do this because the parents need help and support. Child-raising isn’t a parent-only endeavor.

Earlier this week The Washington Post reported on a study whose findings conclude, “the effect of a new baby on a person’s life is devastatingly bad — worse than divorce, worse tha...

What I’m Feasting On

What I’m feasting on is an every-now-and-then post of what I’ve been reading, listening to, and watching—because I think what we’re engaging with influences who we become. I rely on other people to be helpful and godly curators, and when I’m able to I take this opportunity to point you in a few directions that have been helpful for me.

BOOKS The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard . It’s long, but goodness does he do an incredible job of working through the Sermon on the Mount. Such a wonder...

How Do I Find My Calling? (thoughts on the poor questions we ask)

You may have noticed, everyone is talking about calling. You can find articles written about calling on nearly every major online website. I went to Relevant Magazine yesterday, and sure enough one of their most popular articles wason calling. They publish about one a week on calling.

You can’t really blame them, because publishing organizations like Relevant aren’t the problem. They get paid when people read and share their stuff. If people are reading and sharing articles about calling, it...

A Mindset I Struggle to Embrace: People Over Ambitions

This past Monday night my wife Rose and I went on our first date since our little girl was born, back in January. Yikes, too long. That’s not the point of this though. At some point in the conversation she asked me:

“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Rose had an interview last week so she must have had overly obvious interview questions on her mind.

A few years ago I may have come up with the same answer I gave Monday, but in the back of my mind I would have wondered about the great thin...

Commitment Inspires Love

This Saturday I’ll be performing a wedding for a couple that I’ve known the better part of a decade. It will be wonderful to see a lot of old friends and to celebrate the coming together of this young couple.

In my meetings with them leading up to this marriage ceremony, we’ve discussed the role of vows informing love. I often hear love described in emotive terms. I love coffee (when it tastes good). I love sports (when my team wins). I love my wife (when she makes me happy).

Everyone, it se...

Finding Clarity in the Chaos

Back in April I had two days in a row of interactions with negative feedback for things I had spearheaded. This was following the failure (in my mind) of two projects I was intimately involved with. I was frustrated with the failure but it was the negative feedback that lingered in my head and heart for days and days.

It was four or fivedays after the negative feedback that I realized their feedback had wounded me, in a deep way. My frustration over the negativity continued to grow day by da...

Beyond the Letter

When it comes to sin, avoiding the act is priority number one. In light of this, few put emphasis toward the acts that lead to sinful choices, behaviors, and habits. With so much focus on human decision as it relates to sin avoidance, the more subtle places where sin begins are easily ignored.

When it comes to establishing boundaries, I often tell dating couples to create spatial boundaries (we won’t be at this place at this time) rather than physical boundaries (we won’t do more than this)....

What is Real Belief?

From Tyler: Today’s post comes from Barnabas Piper, a guy who is not only a fellow PK, and a fellow depressed fan of Minnesota sports, but a great writer who is approaching a difficult and worthwhile subject with his latest book. Be sure to check out his book after you read his post.

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Belief means a range of things and can be used in a variety of ways. I believe my wife when she tells me something. I don’t believe the Minnesota Vikings will win a Super Bowl in my lifetime. I believe in a th...