Blog Archives

Sep 07, 2019 08:00am

“I Choose Mercy!”

My daughter Meredith has always had a very tender heart.  When she was little, she could cry the largest tears […]

1763 Views
Sep 06, 2019 17:00pm

Don’t Put God in a Box

On March 3, 2003 (3/3/3), my cousin Kevin and his wife Beth became parents for the first time when their […]

1779 Views
Sep 06, 2019 08:00am

Holy or Happy?

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

1223 Views
Sep 05, 2019 17:00pm

Movie Review: Overcomer

Overcomer is a feel-good, faith-based movie that challenges you to think about your true identity.  In the aptly named Christian […]

3414 Views
Sep 05, 2019 08:00am

The Whole Gospel: Why Propitiation Matters

Ever heard a gospel presentation that went something like this: “We are sinners and our sin separates us from God. […]

1929 Views
Sep 04, 2019 17:00pm

Forgiving Like God Does

Have you ever watched a reality TV show where they are all trying to live together in a house or […]

1721 Views
Sep 04, 2019 08:00am

Dr. King, the Cross and Unity

by Brandon Cox Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been an inspiration to me for a number of years because […]

1410 Views
Sep 03, 2019 08:00am

Satan’s Four Favorite Tactics

Satan has been sowing seeds of deceit in my family. This is not surprising or unique because Satan is a […]

5559 Views
Sep 02, 2019 08:00am

Six Keys to a Happy Marriage

Part 1: Communication, Consideration and Commitment:  The keys to a successful marriage will not be found on Dr. Phil’s how […]

1487 Views
Sep 01, 2019 08:00am

God’s Answer to the Problem of Loneliness

In Genesis chapter one, the Bible describes the creation of the world. As God paused to contemplate His work at […]

4067 Views
Aug 31, 2019 08:00am

Giving God Control

 The day my oldest daughter gave birth is a day forever imprinted in my memory. Since he was the first […]

2295 Views
Aug 30, 2019 06:30am

More Languages, More People, More gospel

At the beginning of 2018 our language count was around forty. I say “around” because we couldn’t always get a […]

1998 Views
Aug 29, 2019 08:00am

When You Need Healing

It’s no doubt this world occupies a space of suffering more than any other location in our universe. Earth is […]

1389 Views
Where is God in the hard times
Aug 28, 2019 19:00pm

A Solitary Firefighter

Every summer, I enjoy my precious bit of free time by reading a few books merely for enjoyment or my […]

1454 Views
Aug 28, 2019 15:00pm

Our 3 Excuses for Not Reading the Bible

I make excuses for not reading the Bible every day. And this is coming from a pastor. A formally-trained-in-biblical-theology pastor. […]

2465 Views
Aug 27, 2019 06:00am

High School: How to Survive and Thrive

Seriously, high school is tough. If it’s not the AP classes and the pressure for more college credits, it’s the […]

1817 Views
Aug 26, 2019 04:00am

Whose Truth is True?

Truth. It’s a subject that has evolved and changed.  A topic that has been stretched, questioned and misused over time. Where […]

1574 Views
Aug 25, 2019 06:00am

Tending the Gardens of Our Lives

It’s too nice of a day to stay indoors! The flowers that the kids and I planted are doing GREAT, […]

1707 Views
Aug 24, 2019 06:30am

Six Ways to Prepare for Worship

Last Sunday was an incredible day of worship at our church! The music, fellowship, serving, and community that took place […]

6798 Views
Aug 23, 2019 14:00pm

Staying Christian in College: 7 Questions Parents Should Ask

You’ve detected trends that are leading kids away from Christianity in college. How do we fight back? In most cases, what it comes […]

1909 Views
Aug 22, 2019 08:00am

Technology in Ministry: Social Media

by Jake Tyson My grandfather once told me, “What is not used for God’s glory will be used by Satan for destruction.” […]

1950 Views
Aug 21, 2019 08:00am

Comparison-itis and Christ

by Joyce Parker When I get in a room of other women that I don’t know very well, I’m not immediately uncomfortable. […]

1394 Views
Aug 19, 2019 08:00am

Go Ahead: Burst Your Bubble

By Larry Barker, Director of North American Church Planting Our family was living in Romania in 2000 and we had […]

1562 Views
Aug 17, 2019 08:00am

Transforming Lives in a Library

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Aug 16, 2019 08:00am

Ten Ways to Survive & Thrive in College

by Yalanda Merrell Thinking back to my college years, I’m reminded of . . .  long nights staying up late […]

1844 Views
Aug 14, 2019 08:00am

Hungry & You Fed Me

by Larry Barker, Director of North American Church Planting Lately, whenever I go into a gas station someone is always […]

1329 Views
Aug 13, 2019 08:30am

Three Reasons Your Prayers Should Always Include Praise

My wife and I are old school.  We try really hard to teach our three daughters their manners.  We believe […]

2373 Views
Aug 11, 2019 08:00am

Who is Jesus?

Jesus offered his life as a sacrifice for sin . . . the innocent paying the price of the guilty.

7452 Views
Aug 10, 2019 08:00am

Reflecting Christ in Marriage

If you have a good marriage, and if your parents modeled a good marriage for you, BE THANKFUL!! It occurred […]

1598 Views
Aug 09, 2019 08:00am

Greatest Wedding Story Ever Told

We should be making ourselves ready to be found without spot or blemish for our perfect groom, Jesus Christ.

1937 Views
Aug 08, 2019 07:00am

Lifeword: What I Learned as an Intern

by Melody Siebenmann I have almost completed 120 hours of internship work for Lifeword. And I must say it has […]

1556 Views
Aug 06, 2019 07:30am

Technology in Ministry

When I was younger, I remember my dad, who was a pastor, coming home from a preacher’s meeting. He and […]

1732 Views
Aug 05, 2019 06:30am

Ministry: Keeping It Real

It’s possible to be highly-trained and highly-regarded in your leadership role and be absolutely crumbling on the inside.

1406 Views
Aug 03, 2019 10:00am

No Matter What You’ve Done or Where You’ve Been

Spring Hunter is a woman who grew up in complete poverty, religiously adhered to a cult, suffered parental abandonment, became […]

1669 Views
Aug 02, 2019 11:30am

God of the Mountains and Valleys

“For you, O God, have tested us;     you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the […]

4391 Views
Jul 31, 2019 11:00am

Surrendered: Fully and Finally

I started drinking when I was fifteen because my parents were gone every weekend and my brother and sister would […]

1891 Views
Jul 28, 2019 17:48pm

Sharing Your Faith

Fear of rejection is the number one reason for neglecting to bring up spiritual topics in conversations.

1947 Views
Jul 26, 2019 13:55pm

Three Reasons to Have Patience

1 – Because love is patient “Love is patient,” (1 Corinthians 13:4).   Anyone else think “ouch” Yeah, my hand would […]

1409 Views
Jul 25, 2019 09:30am

My Spiritual Journey

A SEASON OF GROWTH Time moves quickly from us, never returning. It’s our most valuable, non-replenishable asset. We can make […]

1514 Views
Jul 24, 2019 16:52pm

From Your Big Sister

Dear baby, This is Melody, writing to you the night before you are born into this world.  There are a […]

1582 Views
Jul 22, 2019 16:26pm

But It’s Not My Fault

It’s obvious to me in the last sixty years there’s been a dramatic decline in the acceptance of personal responsibility […]

1761 Views
Jul 21, 2019 11:00am

Mike Jones: A Lifeword Story of Grace and Mercy

Matthew chapter 17 has the account of Jesus with Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. While they […]

2300 Views
Jul 20, 2019 05:00am

Part Two: Free From Pornography For Good

Pornography is a deadly mistress. She stands poised with promises, willing and ready at a moment’s notice. She strikes unexpectedly, […]

1795 Views
Jul 18, 2019 05:30am

Discipleship Part Two: Three Chairs

SOAR . . . Man, I love this youth conference. Sold Out And Radical.  Every summer, we gather up our […]

1667 Views
Jul 17, 2019 16:10pm

Part One: The Prominence of Pornography

Pornography addiction is most assuredly an androgynous affair, but for men in particular, the stimulus from pornography activates parts of […]

1736 Views
Jul 16, 2019 16:00pm

Discipleship Part One: How Did Jesus Do It?

It wasn’t until after my first year of college that I was truly saved.  You’re probably thinking, what does that […]

1683 Views
Jul 15, 2019 13:00pm

What it Means to Have a Christian Attitude

The following is adapted from a sermon by Jeff Swart. Philippians 4:8 may be the most important verse in the […]

7272 Views
Jul 09, 2019 13:30pm

Static? Move Closer to the Tower

I hate static.  Not like the kind that makes your clothes cling to you. I’m talking about static on the […]

2411 Views
Jul 03, 2019 07:00am

How to Control Your FOMO Once and for All

FOMO (the “fear of missing out”) is a real thing, and it’s more intense than ever. We’re afraid we’ll miss […]

1882 Views