December 5, 2019
Rich Nathan
 What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?Someone once said that you can tell the size of a boat by the size of the wake it leaves behind. An ocean liner will create and enormous tidal wave in its wake. On the other hand, a small sailboat hardly leaves a ripple. The same thing is true of a woman or a man. You can tell the greatness ... Continue Reading »
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October 3, 2019
Rich Nathan
Just PrayThere is almost no Christian in the world who believes prayer is unimportant. From the moment we become aware of God’s love, we feel an internal tug to pray. Now, we may not be able to offer a theology of prayer or discuss many of the ways people have prayed throughout Christian history. But even the most immature Christian will ... Continue Reading »
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September 5, 2019
Rich Nathan
We Need God's TouchBack in the 13th century there was a German emperor named Frederick the Second who wanted to know what language children would speak if no one ever spoke to them. He chose several newborns and he instructed the nurses to feed them but to provide them no cuddling or talking. What language do you think the children grew up speaking? ... Continue Reading »
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August 9, 2019
Rich Nathan
Jesus Always Gets PersonalI’ve been reflecting recently on the way we use social media, particularly Twitter. So many tweets are designed to demonstrate one’s moral superiority as compared to, say, a philandering politician, an unpatriotic sports figure, or a Neanderthal religious spokesperson. Have you noticed in the gospels that Jesus never allows people to feel morally superior by letting them get away with ... Continue Reading »
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May 31, 2019
Rich Nathan
Christianity is JewishJesus was as thoroughgoing a Jew as anyone who ever lived. In fact, Jesus wouldn’t have responded to the name Jesus if you yelled “Jesus!” to him across a busy street. Known in his time as Yeshua, which we would translate in English as Joshua, he was named for the Jewish hero who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. ... Continue Reading »
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April 30, 2019
Rich Nathan
Great is Thy FaithfulnessWhen I was a young leader, I used to be incredibly impressed by people’s gifting. What an incredible preacher! I wish I could preach like that. She’s amazing—what a talented singer! What an extraordinary writer! What a gifted prophet! I still love gifting. But the longer I’ve been in ministry, the more I find myself admiring people who simply show ... Continue Reading »
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March 22, 2019
Rich Nathan
What Should You Pledge to The Story Continues Giving Campaign?If we want to understand the relative importance of our money and our giving to God, all we need to do is open God’s Word. There we will find thousands of verses about our money and our possessions. The sheer volume of verses on money shouts to us about the importance of money to God. There are way more verses ... Continue Reading »
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February 1, 2019
Rich Nathan
A Home that is Filled with Treasure3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; 4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Proverbs 24:3-4 Proverbs tells us that if we build a home with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, the rooms will be filled with rare and beautiful treasures. The writer is not talking about tangible possessions. The ... Continue Reading »
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January 26, 2019
Rich Nathan
10 Reasons Why I Oppose AbortionI write this post as a pastor appealing to people’s consciences. I do not write in an attempt to persuade anyone regarding their choice of political parties or how they may choose to vote in an election. This post is simply an attempt to shape the moral sensibilities of the reader’s heart regarding one of the most significant moral issues ... Continue Reading »
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January 6, 2019
Rich Nathan
An Exciting New Chapter in the Story of Vineyard Columbus“There is no success without a successor.” Nearly 20 years ago, I read a classic book on leadership by Jim Collins titled Good to Great. The book was about how to build enduring greatness in companies and institutions. Collins wrote, “Great companies (churches) are led by level 5 leaders. The good to great leaders never wanted to become larger-than-life heroes. ... Continue Reading »
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