As I was growing up in my public school and my Baptist church in suburban Ohio, “Lent” was always a curious time of year for me. Never talked about at my church, I always wondered why on Fridays many of my friends had to eat fish and weren’t allowed to have meat. I wondered even […]
How my Transforming Community took me from performance-striving to deep rest
An abbreviated version of this article was published on the Transforming Center’s website: What does transforming leadership look like for Pastor Noah Filipiak? Here is the full version: I love seminary. I have one seminary degree and look forward to going back for more. With that said, my experience in a Transforming […]
Interview with Pastor & Author Zack Eswine on Pastoring and how “Large, Famous & Fast” were not Values of Jesus’s
Noah Filipiak interviews 2016 Christianity Today Book of the Year (in the Category of The Church/Pastoral Leadership) award winner Dr. Zack Eswine. In addition to the award-winning The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering Joy in Our Limitations through a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus, Zack is also the author of Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer […]
What does the Bible say about the Sabbath?
What does the Bible say about the Sabbath? Why did God institute the Sabbath on the 7th day of his creation? Was he tired? Did he need a nap after all that creating? Of course not. So why in Genesis 2:2-3 does God rest from all of his work, blessing the day and making it […]
The Crushing Weight of Waiting
I am a product of my culture. We all are. A microwaved, instant, lightning fast, on demand, hurried, frantic, now culture. I hate waiting. Not only do I hate waiting, it exposes me. When I’m going really fast, I’m such a blur that you can’t get a good look at me. I can’t get a […]
4 New Year’s Resolutions to Consider
1. Cut down on your sarcasm Yes I said it: sarcasm, for the most part, is not a good thing. It builds environments of pride (even arrogance) and is a killer of vulnerability and transparency. It also kills encouragement. Check out this short post I did: 4 Indications that your Sarcasm Needs to be Checked. […]