Gary Shogren's Blog
Warm greetings from San José, Costa Rica! I am Karen Shogren, a professor in the certificate program of ESEPA Seminary here. Next week we are beginning an entirely new program called Certificate with an Emphasis in the Prevention and Intervention of Sexual Violence. This topic has been in the news recently, in many countries around... Continue Reading →
Ideally, a young girl should grow up surrounded by love; the adults in her life should be dependable; they should respect boundaries; they should alleviate fear rather than stir it up. We instinctively feel that all of these shoulds ought to be a given. But the sad reality is that a large percentage of girls,... Continue Reading →
Post after post announces that young people are leaving the church. I’ve read some good insights on the problems and the solutions. But it makes me ponder: Why didn’t I drop out? Full disclosure: I first went to church because that's what the family did; later I came to believe that it was part of my new... Continue Reading →
As a Christmas gift this year, I have bundled together some of my blog posts that have to deal with "How to Life the Christian Life: throw out the old rules and play by the New Covenant." Over a hundred of you have downloaded it already - enjoy! Simply click here: How to live the Christian Life_Shogren I... Continue Reading →
So basically, we can offer you two plans. Plan A. The spiritual produce wagon arrives every day, full to overflowing for those who wish to ask the Father. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and that’s not the complete list; it’s only a summary. They are miracle gifts, planted, watered, grown, harvested,... Continue Reading →
Hey, did you hear about the guy who sued Apple computers, blaming its devices for his lifelong addiction to pornography, a failed marriage, and “emotional distress to the point of hospitalization”? I pride myself on being able to sniff out fake stories. When I heard the PornApple one I immediately decided, that’s a little too... Continue Reading →
As missionaries in Costa Rica for the last 16 years, Gary and Karen Shogren have been following the Great Commission in strategic ways. In San José they train energetic Latin American leaders who will lead the church and spread the Gospel into nations where Americans cannot easily go. Second, they provide ongoing theological education online... Continue Reading →
The Bible says that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). That’s why, when we come to Christ, we experience rapid changes in our conduct. People start telling us, “You’ve changed, you’re different.” Different, yes: but we haven’t become... Continue Reading →
In 1995 I published "Running in Circles: how to find freedom from addictive behavior" with Baker Book House. It is written with the addict in mind, using straightforward language for the person who isn't necessarily a Christian. Now you can buy a copy from Amazon.com as a Kindle book.
Open Our Eyes, Lord! 