Author: Paul Santhouse

I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I’m also a husband, father, and grandpa. Since I spent four decades working with books, and I believe the local church is where we become the kind of people Jesus would be in our shoes, that's mostly what this blog is about. Thanks for visiting. Paul

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Once, my wife and I volunteered to organize a church dinner. We exhausted ourselves, weathered much grumbling, and left hungry. Next time we will host a potluck! It’s great sport to make fun of potlucks, but they tell a good story. Everyone brings a favorite dish, all get fed, and no one gets burned out. The […]

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Thriving is usually traced to nurture. Whether it’s through healthy parenting, husbandry, or guardianship, things well-cared-for tend to flourish. This is especially true of spiritual development. Since it is personal, less tangible, and takes greater determination to cultivate, spiritual well-being can’t be homogenized or mass-produced. People need to be personally invested in. Which sets up […]

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I’ve attended over a hundred churches. Most were visits while searching for “home.” Some were on trips spanning a weekend. And a few were simply to see what goes on in there. Of the “home” churches, there were Christian Reformed, Brethren, Baptist, nondenominational, and Evangelical Free. The circle of “visited” churches stretches to include Anglican, […]

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I work with two men who are weeks from turning eighty. They travel the world, zealous for a cause, influencing millions. Both are humble, friendly, sincere, and generous. They live in the present, tell the truth,  love their enemies, and view challenges as opportunities. Both attended Moody Bible Institute back in the day, follow Jesus Christ […]

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Many of the recent classics feature invasive technology. 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and The Giver come to mind. The speaker on the wall, the camera in the room, the eye in the sky, always watching. Today, we live with all of these things. We’re living the classics. The only difference is who’s watching, and why. In the right […]