All in Faith

Jesus In Our Image

Jesus In Our Image

Aaron Loy
Jesus, Church, Faith

Every now and then I see a truck here in town that is hard to miss. Truthfully, I cringe every time I see it. The back of the vehicle is covered in large, bold red letters that read:

“JESUS IS COMING BACK AND HE IS ANGRY!”

Learning to Abide in Jesus

Learning to Abide in Jesus

Aaron Loy
Faith, Jesus

Though celebrations have at times been hard to come by, one of the things this past year has created in me is a deep longing for more of Jesus.

I want more of the work of Jesus. I want more of the person of Jesus. I want more of the presence of Jesus.

I want all of it. And I want it for you too.

Too Blessed To Be Depressed?

Too Blessed To Be Depressed?

Aaron Loy
Faith, Mental Health

I am a pastor and I struggle with depression.

I know you’re not really supposed to say that as a Christian, and certainly not as a pastor, but the truth is I have struggled on and off with depression for as long as I can remember.

The problem is I grew up in a church where we didn’t talk about mental health issues like depression. The result was a lot of confusion about what depression is and what it is not.

Perfect Parents Need Not Read This

Perfect Parents Need Not Read This

Aaron Loy
Faith

I was recently driving across town with our daughter Paige when a car pulled into our lane and abruptly hit the brakes. Before I had a chance to respond sweet little Paige erupted from the backseat, “OH COME ON! YOU ARE A HORRIBLE DRIVER!…right, Dad?”

Being a parent is a humbling endeavor, isn’t it?

Some Advice For Aspiring Young Leaders

Some Advice For Aspiring Young Leaders

Aaron Loy
Leadership, Faith

As the pastor of a young church, I get to interact with a lot of young people, many of whom dream of doing something significant with their lives. To quote the late Steve Jobs, they long to make a dent in the universe. They want their life to matter. I love getting to spend time with young people who aren’t content to settle for the status quo and who long to make a difference. That said, there are some things I’ve noticed that are common to aspiring young leaders that often get in the way of them actually seeing those dreams realized.

So here are a few pieces of advice I have for aspiring young leaders:

‘It Meets My Needs’ and Other Bad Reasons for Choosing a Church

‘It Meets My Needs’ and Other Bad Reasons for Choosing a Church

Aaron Loy
Church, Faith

Like many in my generation, I’ve done some moving around and with each new move I’ve had to begin the difficult process of searching for a new church home. If you’re like most, a day is coming when you too will be on the search for a new church to call home. When that day comes, you may want to think twice before using these all-too-common reasons for making your choice:

What Would Jesus Tip?

What Would Jesus Tip?

Aaron Loy
Mission, Faith, Jesus

Yesterday I received a text message from a good friend that caused me to slam my phone down in disgust.

My friend had just delivered a large order of sandwiches to a church here in town to the tune of $1,500. He shared with me that it took he and another employee the majority of the morning to prepare the nearly two hundred box lunches. Although this church has a reputation for never tipping the delivery drivers from the business where my friend works, he thought surely they would tip this time. The order was enormous and the church had requested a discount. Perhaps, if nothing else, the church would tip the 10 percent discount to those who served them.

The Tragic Faith Story of Vincent Van Gogh

The Tragic Faith Story of Vincent Van Gogh

Aaron Loy
Faith, Mission

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved the work of Vincent Van Gogh. In college I had a couple of his paintings hung in my cramped little freshman dwelling – his Cafe Terrace at Night displayed prominently between Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews posters. There is just something about the rich color and deep emotive quality of his work that has always struck a deep chord in me. It wasn’t until fairly recently, however, that I learned about Vincent Van Gogh, the man. What I learned was shocking.

5 Really Bad Reasons To Leave Your Church

5 Really Bad Reasons To Leave Your Church

Aaron Loy
Church, Faith

Let’s be honest, while there are some good reasons for leaving a church, there are a lot more bad ones. As a pastor, I hear some of them every now and then as people walk out the door. As a church planter, I hear them constantly as people walk in the door. If you’re thinking about looking for a new church home, please don’t use one of these five reasons to make the jump:

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