Blog Archives

“Well, you know what they say about the preacher’s daughter.” [Insert boyish snickers and winks here.] This is a phrase […]

I think we’ve all experienced it before—that sense of timidity and insecurity, feeling like everyone can see it written all […]

Starting a new decade makes me think of all kinds of things. This year will mark twenty years since I […]

It seems to me that the dishwasher has got to be the most misunderstood appliance in our homes today. I […]

There she sat alone by the water. Given to a man, by no choice of her own, only to be […]

We’ve all heard the phrase “born again”. Some mock. Some scratch their temple. Some bend their knees in worship. But, […]

I recently wrote the following tweet, and it received a lot of reaction. Good people get depressed. Godly people get depressed.  […]

In the late nineteenth century, newspaper companies pioneered a powerful marketing concept that still to this day dominates our media […]

What’s the answer for the many who suffer quietly in the supposed safe place for the hurting–the church–yet go without […]

Sin brings pleasure, but not satisfaction. It brings ruin, never flourishing. Disobeying God sounds good somewhere in the bowels of […]

This Christmas season, Netflix released a host of holiday movies. One of them, a satirical comedy, is called The First Temptation […]

I have been so busy this last month. Christmas parties, decorating for Christmas, wrapping presents, keeping kids out of the […]

The secret of Christianity is that God has given us himself. That’s the prize. And many Christians today have lost […]

Sometimes, everything around you seems to be falling apart. Your kids are making bad choices… You can’t seem to communicate […]

I’ve lost count of people who’ve come into my office asking, “How do I know I’m a Christian? Like, really know?” […]

There is no escaping the fact that we live in a very divided country. It seems that the political division […]

Late one evening, Jesus and the disciples boarded a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee to the other side […]

As a Christian (and a pastor, at that!) I can easily get into the rut of the infamous ‘Christian Bubble’ […]

One of my favorite subtle movie lines is found in The Grinch (the Jim Carrey edition). In a scene where he’s busy […]

Wow, the spread this year! Whether you’re catering in from a restaurant (be honest, it’s tempting!) or delegating dishes to […]

by Lifeword Executive Director Donny Parrish Christmas can be the worst.  That doesn’t sound very religious coming from a guy […]

Most of us have read the story of Jesus’ birth and sung the songs of Christmas many times during the […]

“Therefore, Christian men, be sureWealth or rank possessingYe who now will bless the poorShall yourselves find blessing”  This is the […]

I love to please people. I work hard to achieve things- stupid, meaningless things or accomplishments that I think people […]

I know it sounds wrong to say but Christmas really is a strange time of year in some ways. For […]

The Christmas song “Mary, Did You Know?” was written by Mark Lowery and Buddy Greene in 1991.  It quickly became a […]

During the holiday season, we always hear about going home or other family members coming home. It got me thinking […]

I’ve never understood why Christians are called to be joyful sufferers until recently. Like, I understood the theology, sure. I […]

Black Friday is so named because Americans do so much shopping that a lot of retailers who have been in the “red” […]

Even if you’re an atheist, you know that Jesus is the reason for the season.  It’s unpopular and politically incorrect today […]

During the holiday season, we always hear about going home or other family members coming home. It got me thinking […]

Christmas is hard. Once you’ve lost someone you love, it’s bittersweet at best and terribly painful at worst. It’s a […]

Our most dire need in moments of fear and tragedy is the presence of someone who is willing to enter […]

I know very little about my ancestry and have never really had much interest in researching it. Once I get […]

Even though we daily battle against the grim things of this world, keep a soft heart, Christian. A calloused heart […]

Silent night, holy night!Son of God, love’s pure light;Radiant beams from thy holy faceWith the dawn of redeeming grace,Jesus, Lord, […]

If you’re like me, the word evangelism is a like a guilt switch in my soul. You say “evangelism” and immediately three […]

My name is John and I am a recovering church addict. Those are words that seem inappropriate. After all, church […]

            You may have seen a menorah, maybe heard a song about a dreidel, seen golden chocolate coins for sale in […]

In 1757 Robert Robinson, a self-proclaimed “wanderer,” wrote the penitent words of a poem we know today as the hymn […]

What happens when society redefines family? Our teenagers are sorting through the wounds of a generation’s idea that family is whatever […]

“Let us not become weary in doing good . . . Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good […]

One of my good friends, Alejandro, will sometimes text me out of the blue to just see how life is. […]

Philip Yancey in his book, Disappointment with God, tells of a letter he received from a woman who was struggling with […]

Since the turning of the century there has been a 23% decrease in people who are extremely proud to be […]

As I stare at my bag of double chocolate donuts, I ponder the question, where does happiness come from? I […]

It’s a heated environment these days. Politically. Racially. Religiously. Opinions abound.  Listening is lacking.  Fingers are pointed.  It’s an environment […]

I have always struggled with my tongue. From arguing to sarcasm to sharp, cutting words. I have memorized and meditated […]

With all three of my children, I experienced nearly the same special moment playing hide-and-seek. I would hide. They would […]

Every week I have the incredible opportunity of standing before a group of people to proclaim the truths of God’s […]