The Caffeinated Christian

Here is a list of some books I have enjoyed over the past few months. This doesn't mean I agree with everything in them or with the people who wrote them. It just means they challenged me and I appreciate what they had to say. A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God: Spirituality for the Rest of Us - Larry Osborne Soul Cravings - Erwin McManus The Barbarian Way - Erwin McManus (I read this one about 2 years ago, but had to mention it, awesome!) Eat This Book - A Conversation on the Art of Spiritual Reading - Eugene Peterson Prayer - Finding the Heart's True Home - Richard Foster Joseph - A Man of Integrity and Forgiveness - Charles Swindoll

When things are not working out it seems like time almost stands still. The Bible says that Joseph was in prison two “full” years.” Then in one day everything seems to come together. God is sovereign, working in the lives of many people in many places in space and time. You are a part of that plan. Einstein told us that time and space is relative. Your next good day may be closer than you think. Listen to sermon audio of "Your Next Good Day." Also available as an iTunes podcast.

Read previous post in this series Dreams are visions in the night, abstract interpretations of the moods and events of our life. The band Counting Crows called them “films about ghosts.” [i] That’s about right. Dreams in the night are seldom understood, almost never become reality, are hard to remember, and they can be flat out weird. Everyone has dreams. It is the dreams of the day that truly awaken us, not from sleep, but from complacency. The idea that something good is possible, perhaps even near, is empowering. For a moment things make sense. You will never forget those dreams. We call them epiphanies. Joseph had two dreams, whether in the night or the day, whether awake or asleep we are not told. His dreams were as weird as the ones caused by pizza before bed. But as weird as they were, whether at night or in the day, they were meaningful and awakening. Joseph’s dreams were weird epiphanies. Joseph’s first dream was about sheaves of grain. He was in the field binding sheav

Life needs interpretation. Interpretation is needed when things do not make sense. Life does not make sense. There are way too many things that happen leaving us wondering, why? We crave meaning, interpretation. Interpretation belongs to God (Gen. 40:8). Listen to audio of: "Interpretation of Meaning" Subscribe in a reader

It is easy for our defining moment to become the trauma of our past. Whether it be a critical mistake we made or the pain of inflicted abuse by a loved one, that event becomes the reference point for the rest of our lives. As a result we may continue to make choices with our life that will only continually destroy us. Some people look for trust in untrustworthy people. Some feel worthless and therefore give themselves to anyone or anything. Some cannot cope with the pain and turn to chemical abuse as a way to dull the memory. For Joseph his defining moment was not the abuse of his past, but rather what he believed God was going to do with him. He refused to compromise his future. Our past does not give us a reason to make decisions in the present that will destroy our future. In the Gospel, God gives us hope for tomorrow. Listen to audio of "Thinking Through Temptation." Subscribe in a reader

This parody of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife may shed some light on why he chose to flee temptation. This video was used in the sermon "Thinking Through Temptation." Enjoy, or rather recover! Thanks Josh and Caleb.