Blog Archives

Feb 07, 2020 08:00am

Avoiding the Vortex of Valentine’s Day

Want to know why? Because it’s the day where people compare themselves to others and standards are set by society […]

863 Views
Feb 06, 2020 08:00am

Moving Beyond Shame and Regret: Part Three

Shame can come from several sources. Sometimes, it’s forced upon us by people who made choices over which we had […]

1021 Views
Feb 04, 2020 14:00pm

A Creator for Creation

There had to have been a moment where the creator, who already existed, brought forth life.

962 Views
Feb 04, 2020 08:00am

Moving Beyond Shame and Regret: Part Two

Neuroscientists and psychologists have known for decades about the connection between suppressed emotions like anger or anxiety, and our physical […]

1124 Views
Feb 03, 2020 08:00am

Here’s How You Know You’re Ready to Marry One of Those Fish

There are a lot of questions when dating or talking to someone you are interested in.  In the beginning stages, […]

1156 Views
Feb 02, 2020 08:00am

Moving Beyond Shame and Regret: Part One

Rick Warren recently wrote a great article about how Our Churches Should Be No Shame Zones. I’ve been surprised at the […]

1344 Views
Feb 01, 2020 08:00am

When God Comes to Shake Things Up

We so badly want God to show up and do great and mighty things. But we also want him to […]

3081 Views
Jan 31, 2020 08:00am

The Truth About Fasting and 7 Ways to Do It

We’ve heard people say they are going to start a “fast,” whether for health reasons, for spiritual reasons, or maybe […]

1169 Views
Jan 29, 2020 08:00am

Here’s the Reason You Exist

On March 5, 1995, I was on a school bus headed to Louisville, Kentucky, for a field trip when I […]

1026 Views
Jan 18, 2020 08:00am

Prayer is Much More Than You Think it is

“God is Great God is Good Let us thank him for our food. Amen” When my brother and I were […]

968 Views
Jan 11, 2020 08:00am

Do You Have “Dishwasher Faith”?

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

1146 Views
Jan 10, 2020 08:00am

The God Who Sees You

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

1377 Views
Jan 07, 2020 08:00am

We Pay a High Price for Social Media

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

1096 Views
Dec 27, 2019 08:00am

Doing Ministry in the Christian Bubble

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

933 Views
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 […]

942 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 […]

976 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 […]

1881 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 […]

1121 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 […]

2000 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 […]

1531 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 […]

1351 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 […]

1632 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 […]

1533 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 […]

1001 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 […]

1360 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. […]

1708 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 […]

1255 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 […]

1579 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 […]

1391 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 […]

1838 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 […]

1342 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 […]

1318 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 […]

1021 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 […]

876 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 . . . […]

752 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 […]

3432 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 […]

926 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 […]

1128 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 […]

987 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 […]

809 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, […]

1208 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 […]

9207 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 […]

2091 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 […]

1527 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 […]

1191 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 […]

1131 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 […]

761 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 […]

3773 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 […]

986 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 […]

735 Views