Jim Essian's Blog: JimEssian.com, page 5
June 11, 2018
Emotional Intimacy
Early on in my marriage, when I was playing baseball, I would go out of town for a week or ten days for a series on the road. And when I would come back home it would take my wife, Heather, a day or two to warm back up to me—to feel connected emotionally.
Even scientifically, this is a reality; it’s not just emotional, it’s a physical reality. When we are away from our spouse for a significant period of time the brain is virtually in a drug-withdrawal state. The oneness of marriage and bondin...
June 3, 2018
Why Won’t God Speak To Me?
Ever feel like God has forgotten about you? Or worse, He just doesn’t want to talk to you right now. Like some sort of Divine Silent Treatment, a mum God unwilling to address you until you ___________ (fill in the blank: do this, stop doing that, read your bible for 43 days straight, and for Me sake you better stop watching that Game of Thrones show…).
Does God speak? Or do we need to get another copy of Jesus Calling and hear him vicariously through people He actually likes?
Is the universe...
August 29, 2017
On Hard Work, Prayer, and Grace
“My Father is working until now, and I am working,” (John 517). God is a hard worker, and we’ve been called to labor likewise, as a worker approved (2 Tim. 2:6, 15). Ministry is laborious, but not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58).
The Christian’s labor is infused with Kingdom purpose. Whether vocational ministry or neighbor-loving “secular” work, the Christian is compelled to work harder than his unbelieving coworker, and for nothing less than the glory of God as his aim.
But should hard work for the...
May 30, 2016
How to Suffer
In Mark 14 we see Jesus—in the fullness of his humanity—suffer. In fact his soul is laid bare for us. The wrath of God will be poured out on him on the cross and, in anticipation of it in the garden, we see how he responds to his, “soul…troubled even to death.”
We see Jesus responding to his suffering in five ways:
Jesus Sings
“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”—Mark 14:26
Jesus and his disciples just finished the Passover Meal. Typically at the end of a...
May 4, 2016
Don’t Provoke Your Kids
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger . . .” (Ephesians 6:8)
Our desires and emotions are typically good, godly desires that sin robs and twists into selfishness, tantrums (the child or adult kind), and an entitled heart. Like the Israelites who demanded manna, we demand from God good things like food, love, affection, affirmation, and joy.
Likewise, our children demand manna from us instead of just asking. They want attention; they throw the milk on the ground. They want affection;...
March 26, 2016
Tips for Memorizing Scripture
I took the task of memorizing 100 verses (2,237 words) for our Good Friday gatherings using only scripture to tell the story of the Creator to the Cross.
Here’s what I learned about memorizing:
1. Write it down. Writing it out by hand was perhaps the best thing I did. I would speak it out loud as I wrote it. I usually took about a paragraph long chunk at a time, usually 3-5 verses.
2. Use mnemonics. An example of mnemonics is HOMES for the Great Lakes. I used the first letter of the lists of...
March 7, 2016
Flee Youthful Passions
Blowing on the Gospel embers of young Timothy’s heart, the Apostle Paul fans into flame the grace-producing calling on the Ephesus disciple-maker. After laying down Gospel thundering truths—the Word that is not bound (2:9), the Jesus who is not dead (2:8), the truth of the Gospel that must be guarded (1:14), the grace of God that strengthens (2:1)—Paul exhorts Timothy to “[cleanse] himself from what is dishonorable.”
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and si...
February 21, 2016
Man Does Not Live on Podcasts Alone
Man does not live on podcasts alone. The Christian leader that forsakes disciplined communion with God through the scriptures and prayer is like a man on a fast food diet. Of course he’s not healthy. A genetically modified Gospel of regurgitated good news consumed only through your favorite preacher or author never produces gold, silver, or precious stones, but wood, hay, and straw that won’t last the fire (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
The healthy leader feasts from the source and communes with hi...
December 17, 2015
Top Ten Books I’ve Read This Year
Each year I keep track of all the books I’ve read; sort of an annual personal curation—all right, it’s nerdy, I know. But for all my Kindle reading nerd-dom, I was able to find my ten favorites and share them with you so that perhaps I can save you the time and money of reading bad books. This list (in no particular order) includes biographies, memoirs, Christian, and (what I like to call) dessert books.
Happy reading.
The Imperfect Pastor, by Zac Eswine
This book made me think, made me rej...
