A poem by Will Case about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, on the occasion of Easter 2026.
Category: Personal Growth
Sin, Sickness, and Shadow: How Dracula and Nosferatu Help Us See Evil
Two vampire tales—Dracula and Nosferatu—reveal twin faces of evil. One seduces; the other infects. Together, they expose the anatomy of sin and the sickness of the world. Stoker and Murnau’s visions mirror humanity’s moral unraveling and point us toward Christ, the Great Physician, who restores what evil consumes.
45 Things I’ve Learned in 45 Years
Today on my 45th birthday I’m sharing some reflections on life, faith, parenting, and some areas in which I’m still trying to grow. I’m grateful for the journey so far!
Advanced File Analysis: Letting AI Work Directly with What You Upload
Tired of trying to explain complex documents to AI? What if you could just show it instead? In this post, explore how uploading files—like spreadsheets, PDFs, and photos—lets AI analyze, summarize, and generate insights with accuracy and creativity. This is one of the most powerful tools you can use for ministry and life!
Love, Mercy, and Forgiveness
A collection of brief thoughts about love, mercy, and forgiveness.
Flipping the Script: A Great Way to Collaborate with AI
Learn how to give AI a target goal, and flip the script so it can glean from you what it needs to help you accomplish your objective.
Prayer, Faith, and Spiritual Growth
Encouragement to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, endurance, and transformation in trials.
Journaling vs. Oversharing: A Healthier Way to Reflect on Life
If you enjoy the practice of making posts about your life, but realize you are probably prone to oversharing, have you considered a digital journal app?
Using the Persona Approach with AI
Use the Persona Approach with Generative AI models to have a useful thinking partner, a sounding board, or even a panel of experts.
Human Identity and Christian Character
Examining what it means to be made in God’s image and how we cultivate Christian character, integrity, and humility.
God’s Nature, Presence, and Mystery
A collection of aphorisms exploring how God’s eternal nature, His presence, and His mystery shape our faith and trust through His unseen work.
Profound Quotes by Carl Jung
This is a small collection of significant quotes by Carl Jung, accompanied by some imagery they inspired.
A.I. Ministry: A New Application of an Old Dilemma
Artificial Intelligence is providing a fresh opportunity to reconsider an old dilemma: What is the role of a person’s faith in the validity of sacramental acts?
Using Scripture Journals to Go Deeper
If you haven’t considered getting a Scripture journal, it’s a great way to help you go deeper in your study and transformation. Here is a current assortment of options to get an individual book of the Bible, set up for your note-taking, study, and artistic engagements.
Haikus From Ephesians
Here is a collection of devotional Haikus based on various passages from Ephesians.
08 | Faith in Community
One of the most important ways we are formed is through the Christian community. The church gives us examples of faith in all stages of life, and friends who encourage us and support us through our struggles. Be intentional about how you connect with people who can help you grow, and in whom you can invest.
Reflecting on Twenty Years in Ministry
As of January 2024, I have been working in full-time ministry for twenty years. I wanted to celebrate this milestone, and to share some things I’ve learned along the way.
07 | Adjusting Your Thinking
Here are some common thinking traps and ways you can avoid them, as well as some specific ways to cultivate and magnify positive emotions.
06 | Engaging with Scripture
Scripture is foundational to Christian spirituality. Here are some different ways to engage with Scripture. If you want some kinds of insights you haven’t had before, it is worth trying to engage with Scripture in ways you haven’t before.
05 | “Teach Me To Pray”
Prayer is one of the fundamental building blocks of spiritual growth. Here are some things to consider as you put together your practice of prayer, as well as four different ways to pray.
04 | Creating a Rule of Life
This post will guide you through the process of creating a personal Rule of Life; a strategy for how to become the person you are trying to be.
03 | Purpose in Patterns
You could describe much of who a person is by summarizing their habits. Here are some ideas about how habits work, how to form good ones, and how to break bad ones. We honor God best when we love the right things in the right order of priorities.
A Guided Experience: Lectio Divina
An explanation and guided experience in an old practice called Lectio Divina. Try it and see what you think!
02 | Pathways to God
Even though your life is unique, it is helpful to consider what has helped other people to grow closer to God. Here are some basic frameworks for thinking about God, pathways to God, and typical moves that faith can involve as you engage with these practices.
01 | Five Foundations for Spiritual Growth
Here are five foundational ideas for how Spiritual Growth works, and a challenge for you to try.
Designing Your Life for Growth
This post is a collection of links to the various posts in the series: Designing Your Life For Growth as well as an annotated bibliography of books to consider on the topic of Spiritual Formation.
Five Foundations For Spiritual Growth
If you are wanting to grow spiritually, here are some foundational ideas upon which to build your routines and expectations.
Rethinking How We Interpret Scripture with Rachel Howell
In this episode, we talk with Rachel Howell about Biblical interpretation. A scholar and missionary herself, Rachel has taken a deep dive into Alexander Campbell’s influence on Churches of Christ in the way we view and interpret Scripture. She will critique some areas of imbalance and suggest what it might look like to build an even healthier hermeneutic as we move forward.
Keep a Sermon Garden Growing
For your sermons to be of consistent in their quality, you need to give them room to grow. Here’s one way to do it.
Sustainable Spiritual Leadership with Dr. Daniel McGraw
Drawing from his original doctoral research at ACU, combined with his experience as a minister and as a Navy Reserve Chaplain, Daniel McGraw talks about how to lead effectively while continuing to nourish one’s soul.
Spirit-Shaped Ethics for Churches with Mac Sandlin
Dr. Mac Sandlin describes the active way in which the Holy Spirit leads us into greater virtues, helping us to become more like Christ. Beyond asking, “What should I do?” Mac invites us to ponder, “What kind of person should I be?”
Advice for Young Ministers: A Conversation
Dr. Mark Adams sits down with Dr. Kevin Burr to share some experiential advice for young ministers…and really, for anyone looking to grow spiritually.
Top 10 Posts of 2020
Looking back at 2020, here were the most viewed posts at Kingdom Upgrowth.
Haikus from the Minor Prophets
A collection of my devotional Haikus based on the Minor Prophets.
Overcoming Negative Emotions
It’s been a hard time for all of us. Here are some things you can do to help you get through.
40 Things I’ve Learned in 40 Years
For my birthday, I’m sharing 40 things I’ve learned over the last 40 years.
The Positive Side of Grace
Why grace might be even more amazing than you think it is.
Helping Your Tribe Be Healthy
What does it actually look like for people to get healthier incrementally? How do we help dysfunctional tribes become high-functioning teams? Here are a few ideas.
Denied: A Mother’s Request
Mrs. Zebedee believed more than anything that she wanted her sons to be at Jesus’ right and left hands as he entered his kingdom. But at the foot of the cross, her perspective may have changed.
New Translations for New Perspectives
Here are some recent translations of the Bible I have been reading and am intending to read soon.
From Development to Deepening
Rather than merely discovering or developing your interests, what if you took things to the next level?
Useful Books for Church Leaders
People often ask me for book recommendations about specific situations and questions. Here are some of the questions I encounter most frequently, along with the resources I recommend.
Reading John Through Ancient Eyes
Kevin Burr helps us gain a more culturally-informed view of John’s Gospel. What would John’s original audience have assumed that we might not? This conversation helps to bridge the gap.
Reading John Theologically
Dr. Mark Powell of the Harding School of Theology talks about how John’s Gospel enhances our understanding about God.
Using John for Spiritual Formation
Lauren Calvin Cooke guides us in how to utilize the Gospel of John for personal spiritual growth.
John’s Unique Voice
Dr. Kindy De Long shares insights into some of the things that John’s Gospel uniquely contributes to the Gospels’ telling of the story of Jesus. What might John be showing us that he considers of special importance?
John’s Legacy in the Church
Dr. Keith Stanglin shares how John’s Gospel was valuable to the early church, and how these insights help us to utilize it today.
Scripture Reading Strategies
As you get ready for the new year, here are a few ways to think about how you approach Scripture, with some insights on how to get the most out of your efforts.
Join us for a Journey Through John!
In 2020 we’re going on a journey through John’s Gospel. We hope you’ll come, too!
My Favorite Reads of 2019
Here are my favorite books I read in 2019, along with a full list of all the books I read this year.