Blog posts by Joseph Thiessen

Thoden Summoned to valor, his spirit waxed stronger than iron in war’s shadow. “ Crops can be resewn, homes rebuilt. Within these walls, we will outlast them .” …said he.   Eowyn Fearless, she stood steadfast in the face of battle.   “ Let me stand at your side. ” …said she.   Seven of Nine Held captive to silicon and circuits, her inward journey awakened an unshackled humanity.  “ Impossible is a word that humans use far too often .” …said she.   Transmutation Once powerless, a single moment gives birth to boundless ability. Said of those who’ve experienced it, “ Are you a god? No, but I’m something more .”   Odin Renown for wisdom, he shaped destinies and dynasties.  “ Allfather give me strength .” …said he.   Starlord His charm and wit rallied unlikely friends to legendary deeds.  “ Dance-off bro. Me and you .” …said he.   Thor Son of Thunder. Steadfast and bold. “ Your ancestors called it magic, and you call it science .” …said ...

Jesus has been leading me through deep soul work—bringing up painful experiences to help me acknowledge how they affected me, learn from them, and repent where needed. While working through a video and workbook on manipulation and control, I grew uncomfortable. At first, I was focused on how others had manipulated or controlled me. But the Holy Spirit gently shifted my focus to the log in my own eye. He brought up memories of times I had been manipulated in ways that seemed playful but were aimed at gaining attention, praise, or control. It hurt to realize I’d been coerced in the name of fun, but deeper still was the realization that I’ve done the same. The thought of this was familiar and painful to think about; I knew that I had engaged in this sort of behavior myself. I remembered manipulating others to join me in sin or cleverly trying to secure more of someone’s time instead of trusting God to provide what I needed relationally. After I finished my study, I turned to my journal an...

This is the first sermon I've posted from my church. It's been a couple of days since I heard it, so I won't do a full recap here.  Being raised in the church, and perhaps more so in the non-denominational charismatic, Rhema-type churches, verses 22-23 of Mark 11 has been co-opted to mean something altogether different than what I heard in this sermon. Mark 11:22-23 (ESV) And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ​‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Additionally, the verses in this sermon helped me to understand why Jesus cursed the fig tree, why he cleansed the temple, and that selling things in the temple was a provision set forth in the Torah. Being this cleared up so much confusion around these verses, I wanted to place this here in hopes that it will help you. The reading of scripture begins at 16:30 ...

At 27 years old, nearing the end of my college years, I followed my usual routine on Wednesday, June 18, 1997, and attended the youth group service at my church. As an assistant leader, along with another person close to my age, I helped wherever needed.   That night marked the beginning of extraordinary changes in my life. Looking back, many who were there would agree that God did amazing things during that time. However, as with many spiritual encounters throughout history, some lost their way and abandoned their faith. For me, this season remains a personal treasure. If God had ordained it solely for my benefit, it was still an incredible gift to my soul—one I will cherish all my days.   On this particular night, our youth pastor, Mark, felt led by the Holy Spirit to do something different. After the usual teaching time, he shared a message from Psalm 23. Although I don’t remember every detail of the teaching, the focus on the phrase from verse 5, “my cup overflows,” stood ...

When reflecting on how to prepare for lonely days—whether it’s a long weekend, a holiday, or an afternoon after church—my mind races in a thousand directions, considering all the reasons why loneliness is such a challenging emotion. Wisdom (and practical advice) offers many ideas and resources on how to occupy our minds, time, and energy. It would be wise to compile a list of solutions in advance—before sadness deepens into self-pity or depression. As a 55-year-old single man whose parents have recently passed and whose closest connections are now married and starting families, I find that my resourcefulness must be more targeted than ever. This stands in contrast to my teenage years through my late thirties, when I had a wealth of single friends readily available for hangouts, camping trips, and other activities. How we envision and experience Jesus can have either a net-negative or net-positive effect on our relational stability as we mature. For instance, if I don’t challenge my bel...

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