Blog Archives

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 […]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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