A reflection on Jesus-centered power in a world of dominance and performance from Gavin Linderman

Power in our world often looks like control. It climbs ladders, guards pulpits, builds platforms. But in the hands of Jesus, power looks strikingly different. It kneels. It washes feet. It gives itself away.

On July 4th, while many celebrated the ideals of “freedom” and “liberty,” I found myself grieving and grappling with deeper questions about what true freedom really means.

Just weeks earlier, my family and I sat in court alongside our Afghan friends, a courageous family who crossed mountains, seas, jungles, and deserts to seek asylum in the US. What should’ve been a brief 20-minute hearing dragged into three agonizing hours. The prosecutor’s questions weren’t just cruel, they were absurd. “How do you know the bomb that destroyed your home was really from the Taliban?” she asked, insinuating the story was fabricated. My children, like me, sat shaken and angry…

From Surge Leadership:

Since January, and with increasing urgency in recent weeks, we have witnessed a concerning escalation of immigration enforcement measures impacting immigrant families, many of whom are integral members of our churches and communities. Across the Surge, leaders are walking closely with families facing detention, separation, and legal uncertainty. Even those not directly affected, remain closely connected through trusted relationships with sister churches navigating these realities on the ground…

These days, it’s common to hear people talk about being “prophetic.” Sometimes it means calling out injustice or speaking hard truths. Other times, it’s a badge of honor and a way to set oneself apart as a truth-teller, a voice in the wilderness. But let’s be honest: sometimes the truth of what people are saying is lost because they’re just arrogant, loud, and judgemental…

Beauty, as the saying goes, is in the eye of the beholder. It’s hard to deny that different people find different things beautiful. My family and I lived in England for a couple of years, and on several occasions, the locals we met would ask with astonishment, “Why would you leave such a beautiful place as Canada to live here?”

n the summer of 2021, fourteen-year-old Nathan’s life took a tragic turn. Nathan’s mom suddenly passed away. His dad was not in the picture and there were no family members to care for Nathan and his brother.

Arizona is blessed to have many leaders and ministries collaborating across our cities for the sake of unity, prayer, church planting, justice and mercy, and reconciliation.