Blog Archives

Dec 21, 2019 08:00am

The First Words of Christmas

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

1065 Views
Dec 20, 2019 08:00am

Takeaways from Christmas Carols – Part Three (Good King Wenceslas)

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

1134 Views
Dec 19, 2019 08:00am

The Battle of Self Worth in a Performance-Based Culture

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

1194 Views
Dec 18, 2019 14:30pm

Just a Baby

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

1332 Views
Dec 18, 2019 08:00am

What DID Mary Know?

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

2128 Views
Dec 17, 2019 08:00am

What Does “Home for the Holidays” Really Mean?

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

1432 Views
Dec 15, 2019 08:00am

How to Have Joy in the Suffering

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

1458 Views
Dec 14, 2019 08:00am

The Antidote to Holiday Consumerism? Generosity!

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

1010 Views
Dec 13, 2019 08:00am

Less Shopping, More Serving During the Christmas Season

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

1290 Views
Dec 12, 2019 08:00am

A Life-Giving Home for the Holidays

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

1245 Views
Dec 11, 2019 08:00am

Five Ways to Cope With the Holidays When You’ve Lost a Loved One

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

1255 Views
Dec 10, 2019 08:00am

Immanuel – God With Us

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

1602 Views
Dec 09, 2019 08:00am

TENTACLES OF FAITH

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

2261 Views
Dec 08, 2019 08:00am

Keeping a Soft Heart Amid the Battle of Doctrine

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

1373 Views
Dec 07, 2019 08:00am

Takeaways From Christmas Hymns – Part One

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

1277 Views
Dec 06, 2019 08:00am

Evangelism Begins With Grace

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

1815 Views
Dec 05, 2019 08:00am

Confessions of a Church Addict

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

1502 Views
Dec 04, 2019 08:00am

What Christians Can Learn From Hanukkah

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

1807 Views
Dec 03, 2019 08:00am

“Prone to Wander, Lord, I Feel it”

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

1741 Views
Dec 02, 2019 08:00am

When Culture Defines a Family

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

1145 Views
Dec 01, 2019 08:00am

When it Comes to Loving People, Christians Have a Higher Standard

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

1527 Views
Nov 30, 2019 08:00am

If You Want a Life of Victory, Fix Your Focus

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

1905 Views
Nov 29, 2019 08:00am

When You’re Disappointed With God

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

1394 Views
Nov 28, 2019 08:00am

3 Reasons Patriotism is on the Decline in America

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

1757 Views
Nov 27, 2019 08:00am

Is it Happiness You’re After? Or is it Joy?

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

1550 Views
Nov 26, 2019 08:00am

OUR COMMON ENEMY

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

2101 Views
Nov 25, 2019 08:00am

When Your “House” is on Fire

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

1505 Views
Nov 24, 2019 08:00am

How to Find the God Who Delights in Us

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

1458 Views
Nov 23, 2019 08:00am

Inside Look at a Pastor’s Preaching Prep

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

1143 Views
Nov 22, 2019 08:00am

The Secret to Keeping Friends

Friendships are often fickle. What’s the secret to keeping friends? I got a story for ya: On an epic day […]

995 Views
Nov 21, 2019 08:00am

How Many Generations Does it Take to Bless a Child?

With an autumn breeze grazing our skin, carrying the backyard-laughs into the neighbor’s yard, we played and played . . . […]

872 Views
Nov 21, 2019 08:00am

Yes, Son, There are Two Genders

What do you do when your child asks an honest (yet culturally unpopular!) question? One that, if answered biblically, will […]

3655 Views
Nov 20, 2019 08:00am

Considering Celebrity Conversions

In recent news, a fair number of celebrity conversions have been taking place in the public eye. Justin Bieber has […]

1049 Views
Nov 19, 2019 08:00am

What Should I Say to Fear?

Peanuts characters Linus and Charlie Brown were discussing how to deal with the difficulties of life. Linus tells Charlie Brown […]

1256 Views
Nov 18, 2019 08:00am

Does Jesus Want Me to Be Happy?

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, gave us a pathway to happiness called the beatitudes. God blesses those who are […]

1153 Views
Nov 17, 2019 08:00am

Our Messy Relationship With This World

Jesus stayed on the streets and searched the corners to encounter the very people most religious folk snubbed. Jesus comes […]

929 Views
Nov 16, 2019 08:00am

Happiness Depends on Whose You Are

“Happiness is in the eye of the beholder.” Have you heard that phrase? Usually with “Beauty” instead of “Happiness”? Sure, […]

1363 Views
Nov 15, 2019 08:00am

All People are Made in the Image of God

The Bible clearly states that God is the creator of all human life. (Find a list of some of those […]

9742 Views
Nov 14, 2019 08:00am

4 “Non-Spiritual” Things That Transformed My Prayer Life

I’m embarrassed about my prayer life. And I have yet to find someone who isn’t! It’s (usually) not our theology that […]

2222 Views
Nov 13, 2019 08:00am

Five Dangers of Not Asking For Prayer

The Christian life is about community. It’s about fellowship. It’s about being one Body. To do this you have to […]

1740 Views
Nov 12, 2019 08:00am

Five Ways to Prepare for a Bear Attack

Are you prepared for a bear attack? Our family recently took a vacation to the picturesque Grand Teton Mountains. The […]

1325 Views
Nov 11, 2019 08:00am

Three Ways to Parent Your Child’s Heart

I’m just a dad.  I don’t have a PhD in parenting. I haven’t studied personality theory nor have I researched […]

1263 Views
Nov 10, 2019 08:00am

YOUR SMART PHONE IS LYING TO YOU, BY THE WAY

Here’s a riddle for you: What do we look at, on average, 63 times a day, for up to 4 […]

873 Views
Nov 09, 2019 08:00am

People Are Not Your Enemy

People are not the real enemies. Paul made that clear when he said, “For our struggle is not against flesh […]

4205 Views
Nov 08, 2019 13:00pm

Four Ways to be Grateful During This Season of Thankfulness

If only my children would be more grateful . . .  As a young mom, I was sure that was […]

1115 Views
Nov 08, 2019 08:00am

Ten Reasons I’m Happy and How You Can Get There

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with […]

862 Views
Nov 07, 2019 08:00am

Twenty Seconds

There are only a handful of times in my life I have thought, “I could die in the next few […]

1020 Views
Nov 06, 2019 08:00am

Rescue From Rebellion

A salvation story doesn’t have to be R-rated to be powerful. We may not all be saved from a life […]

1551 Views
Nov 05, 2019 08:00am

The Hard, Narrow Road to Biblical Literacy

We desire the silver platter of biblical literacy – that we might somehow put in the littlest effort yet receive […]

1558 Views
Nov 04, 2019 08:00am

Are You Spiritually Dehydrated?

Sometimes life can be completely and utterly exhausting. I’m talking stress from work, family, or money issues to being mentally […]

1428 Views