Author: mattsimonblog

20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. … Continue reading Prayers Like Groans →

"The source of our inspiration in our service for God is behind us, not ahead of us." - Oswald Chambers I spend an unhealthy amount of time thinking about future meals. The question of what I will be eating next can totally crowd out the meal I had previously eaten or even the one I am … Continue reading Why SO Many Statues? (Or Why My Next Meal is My Favorite) →

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God – Matthew 5:9 Today is the day we commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Perhaps there has been no bigger a year to reflect on his life’s mission than the year we find ourselves in. It seems that we were in a sort … Continue reading WHY MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. STILL MATTERS →

We have learned to put the knives on the top shelf. There is an unmistakable curiosity that comes with new life. Babies look at everything with fresh vision and intrigue. These are the things that after 35 years on this planet, I look past. The way sunlight hits a wall, the way microwaves illuminate and … Continue reading Dishwashers, Toddlers, and Imagination →

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, - Romans 5:3-4 It is incredible how fast life can go from good to bad, from "yay" to "ugh". Most days pass by unremembered. They are filed away in the manilla envelop of life … Continue reading This Annoying, No Good, Very Bad Day →

14 For many are called, but few are chosen. - Matthew 22:14 One dangerous idea that has penetrated Christian thought is the belief that some of us have a higher calling than others. Working with teens and young adults has shown the damage of this philosophy. Many spend years chasing a "calling" believing in some profound mystery … Continue reading On Calling and Purpose →

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, … Continue reading Who Do We Give To? →

There are vast areas of stubbornness and ignorance the Holy Spirit has to reveal in each of us, but it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone. Are we alone with Him now? Or are we more concerned with our own ideas, friendships, and cares for our bodies? Jesus cannot teach us anything … Continue reading To Be Alone, or Why Parents Lock The Bathroom Door →

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path - Psalm 119:105 While there is a certain wisdom granted to us from above, the desire to act on it is completely rests with us. There are moments in this life, perhaps all too few, where things seem illuminated and our … Continue reading Choice and A Dimly Lit Path →

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. - Isaiah 55:6-7 There are … Continue reading Near Compassion / Abundant Pardon →