Church Merch and the Motive Police

Seems like more churches are selling branded gear these days. It reminds me of the division in the early church at Corinth over which “version” of the faith was the best. Join me as I look at 1 Cor. 1 and Phil. 1 for perspective on branding, motives, and unity.

What is The New Norm?

When I was in high school, one of my nicknames was “Norm.” In my first real job out of college, I was one of two “Steves” at the office. Because the other was my boss, I became Norm again. Thus, the “New Norm.”

I’ve worked in churches for over twenty years, and part of my current journey is learning, re-learning, and unlearning some critical lessons I picked up along the way. (I also had stints as group fitness instructor, a volunteer police chaplain, and trainer at an ice cream plant, but those are stories I can unpack later.) I’m currently a writer, speaker, and pastor of no particular congregation.

This podcast is simple and direct. Every week I’ll share a devotional thought based on something that’s challenging and changing me. Most of these will be directly from a passage of Scripture that’s stretching how I think about spirituality, life, relationships, family, and work.