As Orioles fans know all too well, hitting a baseball is a difficult task. Pitchers throw a ball with blazing speed and pinpoint accuracy. They also can fool hitters by changing speeds and the direction the ball is going. Pitchers not only throw fastballs, but they also throw curveballs. 

One of the core principles of Leadline is that adults grow spiritually through God’s Word, over time, mostly together. Adult faith grows incrementally. As questions are answered and relationships are deepened it becomes easier to open our hearts to God’s love.

In a recent article in The Atlantic Derek Thompson cited an interesting statistic. In the last 20 years, the average time people spent with their pets nearly doubled, while time spent with friends plummeted.

Guilt does not seem to be what it used to be. It doesn’t mean guilt isn’t real. It is. Sin is alive and well. It is just the feeling of guilt does not seem to be what it once was. 

Life is not always smooth. Sometimes it is, and I am grateful for God for that. But, in big and small ways, things don’t always work the way they should. People get sick, money gets tight, we don’t get along like we should.

33 years of professional ministry to adults has proved the wisdom of that quote. When I think it is up to me to convince people, talking to someone about Jesus becomes a burden. But when I become their friend and allow them the space to ask their own questions and explore their own answers, ministry feels different.

I have just emerged from a busy season of ministry. I have had the privilege of serving several people who found themselves in places of sadness, confusion, life transitions and even death.