Author: Seth Barnes

Stopping the sex trade in Liberia

Written by Seth Barnes on November 25, 2012. Posted in Sex Trade and Sex Trafficking. 3 Comments on Stopping the sex trade in Liberia

Katie Meyler experienced the reality of the sex trade and formed an organization called More than Me to help stop it by sending at-risk orphan girls to school. She shares her story: "I...

4 Paths to less stress

Written by Seth Barnes on November 21, 2012. Posted in Better Living. 1 Comment on 4 Paths to less stress

Jesus promised us peace. But for many Christians who lead stressful lives, that promise feels like an empty platitude. How can you be at peace when life keeps throwing you curve...

Life is messy

Written by Seth Barnes on November 20, 2012. Posted in Dealing with junk in our lives. 6 Comments on Life is messy

Life is messy and it's better that we acknowledge it. A lot of us Christians try to pretend that it's not. We want to say that the Bible is a rule book. We say that by...

Letter to your future self

Written by Seth Barnes on November 19, 2012. Posted in Dreaming. 4 Comments on Letter to your future self

Have you ever written a letter to your future self? It’s a good exercise to do. What would you say? How would you expect to change with the passage of time? Will you stay supple...

How we betray ourselves

Written by Seth Barnes on November 16, 2012. Posted in Dealing with junk in our lives. 7 Comments on How we betray ourselves

One of the worst things you'll ever experience is betrayal. You trusted someone and they failed you. As a small child, you are dependent on your parents for provision and protection....

What my journey taught me

Written by Seth Barnes on November 15, 2012. Posted in Journeys. 1 Comment on What my journey taught me

As a student, I felt restless – wanting to experience the world in all its grandeur, yearning for an adventure I couldn't name. I heard a whisper from inside that I hoped...

Holy Spirit blogs

Written by Seth Barnes on November 14, 2012. Posted in The Holy Spirit is on the move. 18 Comments on Holy Spirit blogs

What is your experience with the Holy Spirit? For years, I lived my life as if the Holy Spirit didn't exist. I came by that posture honestly, having been raised in a church...

God uses us when we’re weakest

Written by Seth Barnes on November 13, 2012. Posted in Wounded healers. 15 Comments on God uses us when we’re weakest

A few days ago, Ruth Wilson was in a place where we've all been – feeling far from God and not wanting to pray. Sick of praying tepid prayers. Feeling self-absorbed and...

5 things I was taught that are wrong

Written by Seth Barnes on November 12, 2012. Posted in Living Free. 14 Comments on 5 things I was taught that are wrong

Growing up, I heard stuff that made no sense, so I did the opposite. Sometimes conventional wisdom is wrong. And sometimes, as Hilary Austen said, “When your efforts run in...

The urge to leave

Written by Seth Barnes on November 9, 2012. Posted in Abandon. 11 Comments on The urge to leave

I wrote about coping with loss yesterday. No one likes losing (unless it's weight), but loss does have an upside. Once you've lost something, it doesn't have the grip...

Coping with loss

Written by Seth Barnes on November 8, 2012. Posted in Living Free. 9 Comments on Coping with loss

Judging by the response to my post yesterday, I hit a nerve. People who invested in losing candidates are licking their wounds and trying to make sense of this new reality. Some...

Divided loyalties

Written by Seth Barnes on November 7, 2012. Posted in Culture and Faith. 21 Comments on Divided loyalties

I got a text this morning that said, "We're doomed." And if you're a hard core Republican, maybe you feel that. Perhaps as well, the election is a wakeup call...

Losing and mourning your mom

Written by Seth Barnes on November 6, 2012. Posted in Comfort and Pain. 19 Comments on Losing and mourning your mom

Laine Armour lost her mother last month. Her blog post about how she processed her mom's passing was searingly honest. As she shares, it shook her to the core. "After I...

A demonstration of power

Written by Seth Barnes on November 5, 2012. Posted in Amazing God Stories. 15 Comments on A demonstration of power

I don't know about you, but I need regular reminders of the power of God. Michael Sanders is in Kenya and gives us a modern day reminder that what Paul said to the Corinthians...

Knowing when you’re sick

Written by Seth Barnes on November 2, 2012. Posted in Dealing with junk in our lives. 8 Comments on Knowing when you’re sick

Yesterday morning I woke up with a scratchy throat. Usually that means my body is under attack and a full-fledged cold is on the way. I took some vitamin C and prepared for the worst. It...

Entertaining accusations

Written by Seth Barnes on November 1, 2012. Posted in Living Free. 11 Comments on Entertaining accusations

“Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.” 1 Tim 5:19 "Entertaining accusations" is an interesting phrase....

Avoiding first world problems

Written by Seth Barnes on October 29, 2012. Posted in Comfort and Pain. 11 Comments on Avoiding first world problems

I was complaining last night that I need more friends. I've got great friends, but most of them are scattered around the country. This morning I realized that that was a "first...

Innovation and missions

Written by Seth Barnes on October 29, 2012. Posted in Innovation. 7 Comments on Innovation and missions

The faster the world changes, the faster we've got to change to keep up. In the world of missions that I live and work in, everything has changed in a generation: A generation...

Honoring your parents

Written by Seth Barnes on October 26, 2012. Posted in Parenting. 6 Comments on Honoring your parents

All parents hurt children. Some do it in small ways and others inflict what may be permanent wounds. It comes with the job. I don’t know a person who hasn’t been hurt...

Kingdom journey vs. pilgrimage – the difference

Written by Seth Barnes on October 25, 2012. Posted in Journeys. 2 Comments on Kingdom journey vs. pilgrimage – the difference

A friend asked me what the difference is between a kingdom journey and a pilgrimage. I see a pilgrimage as a kind of kingdom journey, one that is focused on travel that builds the...

This is what wrecks me

Written by Seth Barnes on October 24, 2012. Posted in Poverty. 11 Comments on This is what wrecks me

Jumbo Gerber is our director in Swaziland. He just wrote about the following four people: Mamba (age 7) was hanged by his stepfather A little baby boy was found this week in a...

Forgetting the goodness of God

Written by Seth Barnes on October 23, 2012. Posted in Comfort and Pain. 5 Comments on Forgetting the goodness of God

Most of us have a remarkable ability to forget. It’s what enables us to take new risk. Having been burned in one relationship, as the pain begins to recede in our memory, we...

Experience inevitably impacts what you believe

Written by Seth Barnes on October 22, 2012. Posted in Culture and Faith. 9 Comments on Experience inevitably impacts what you believe

I have friends who have stopped believing in God. I don't pray that they'll change their theology. I pray that they'll have an experience with God. We humans form...

How do I get discipled as Jesus discipled?

Written by Seth Barnes on October 19, 2012. Posted in Discipling. 8 Comments on How do I get discipled as Jesus discipled?

If you're a student, where do you go to be discipled in the same sort of way that Jesus poured into his disciples? If you're a parent, what is your strategy for discipling...