I stood with Rachel in a tiny duplex in one of the worst neighborhoods in Knoxville, TN. The floors of this duplex were made of unvarnished plywood and the kitchen/living room cabinets matched the floors. The landlord stood in the doorway, wearing a track suit and smoking a cigarette. We walked around the building and … Continue reading This Woman

I know a lot of faithful brothers and sisters with great stories. I’ve asked them to share their stories and every fifth Monday I’m going to pass their stories along.  This story is from my father-in-law, James Litsey. James has the purest missionary heart in the world and works with unreached people groups on a … Continue reading Communion with the Saints – Episode 1

Mike walks into our building every morning and everyone yells “Mikey!” in unison. He gives me a hug and makes small talk with a few of our regulars. Then he walks up to the coffee bar and humbly asks, “Would it be okay if I hopped in the shower?” The answer is always yes. When … Continue reading Blessed Are You Who Are Poor – Meek Mike

Karen suffered unthinkable tragedy in 2014 when her 12 year old son was murdered at a nearby park. The news circulated on a national level and Karen fell into deep depression. She soon became homeless and showed up at Midtown Commons. As we got to know her more, we recognized her affliction and heartache. Some … Continue reading Blessed Are You Who Are Poor – Freedom for Friendship

I met a woman rich in faith. Every day she thanks God for life. Mary and her roommate are on disability. They moved into the same apartment to share resources. One day Mary was out of food and out of money. For me, “out of food” means I don’t want anything in my cupboard. I … Continue reading Blessed are the Poor – Something Really Mattress

I run into more and more people who don’t realize there are two versions of the beatitudes in the bible. “Beatitudes” refers to the classic words of Jesus that start with “blessed are the…” and end with “for you…” or some variation. Usually, when someone refers to the beatitudes, the passage that person has in … Continue reading Blessed Are You Who Are Poor Pt. 1 – Is This A Joke?

Last year, a single father named Gene was homeless and attending AA meetings with his two daughters by his side. Through a cool series of events, Gene came into Midtown Commons for our Thursday breakfast and sat down with Dave and Jeff, a couple of our volunteers. Gene had a bunch of questions about Jesus … Continue reading Shepherding Pt. 3 – Those We Shepherd

What is the believer’s role in shepherding? Are all believers shepherds, or only some? The word for shepherd in scripture means this: “One who tends, feeds, leads, cherishes, guides, and protects a flock.” This definition is used to describe actual shepherds who watch over sheep (Luke 2), it is used to describe Jesus (John 10), … Continue reading Shepherding Pt. 2 – A Calling

I had an English professor in college who pointed out the reason we love Psalm 23 so much: It’s good. There are 150 Psalms in the bible, written by various poets, but David’s masterpiece is just plain awesome. It’s beautifully crafted, it’s comforting, and it seems to resonate with our deepest longing — that we … Continue reading Shepherding Pt. 1 – The Good Shepherd

A couple of years ago, I was reading an interview with a Christian musician who is well known for his criticism of the Church. Because of his reputation, the interviewer asked the question, “What is the biggest issue/blind spot for the church, an area where Christianity is failing to live up to its promise and … Continue reading People > Ideas