Blog Archives

4 Reasons For My Independence Day Decision
Several years ago, we moved into a house with a big wrap-around front porch. It is great for quiet sitting […]

Set Apart
Our lives should look like what Scripture defines as a follower of Christ and not to be resembling the world.

Confessions of a Christian Bulimic
“It’s easy. All you have to do is stick your finger down your throat ‘til you gag and throw up.” […]

Representing Your Good Name and Your Good God
Point number one: Your reputation matters. In professional environments we call this “personal branding.” In family circles we call this […]


Showing Grace When the World Expects Judgment
Every conversation you get into is an opportunity to show people the grace of God that you’ve experienced in your […]

Jesus Wants Us to Know His Father as Our Father
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” (A.W. Tozer) What […]

God Receives Glory When We Don’t Discriminate
God receives glory, honor, and praise in heaven continuously around his throne. Revelation 5 says, “And they sang a new song: […]

A Parent’s Guide to Biblical Wisdom: Chapter Two
(Missionary to Thailand Brandon Lingle has written a parenting book in Thai, and he has graciously agreed to share it […]

In What Direction do Your Words Point?
Words shape the future. Whether we’re talking about written words or spoken words, the fact is families, churches, governments, nations […]

Cleaning up the mess
Messes can be overwhelming, but Jesus’s love is more powerful than anything you can imagine.

7 Ways to Upgrade Your Prayer Package
At the risk of losing you before we get started, I confess that I am old enough to remember the […]

Real Faith is Transformational not Informational
Real faith uses information for the purpose of transformation. D. L. Moody said, “the Bible was not given for merely […]

Taking matters into our own hands
Let Him work it out in His timing and not in yours.

It’s Not About Winning an Argument, But Winning a Soul
If you believe in Jesus, then apologetics is for you; it’s not just for “intellectuals.” The clearest definition I’ve heard […]

Christian Service is Impossible Without Worship
At my local church, it is made clear that every member of the body is expected to serve the Lord […]

Proverbs: 31 Chapters, 31 Prayers
(Introduction to this 31-days-of-prayer is at https://lifeword.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=4425&action=edit The following are 31 chapter summaries, key verses, and prayers inspired by the […]

A Parent’s Guide to Biblical Wisdom: Chapter One
(Missionary to Thailand Brandon Lingle has written a parenting book in Thai, and he has graciously agreed to share it […]

May His Cross Destroy the Racial Divide
I am a middle-aged, middle class white woman. I was born and mostly raised in the South. I grew up […]

Becoming a Sacrifice
If you have accepted Him as your Savior, you have a duty to be holy, to be set apart from the rest of this world for His glory.

Pastor, Are You Feeling the Weight of Decisions?
Are you feeling the weight of making a lot of decisions and being unsure of those decisions, along with their […]

Coming Back to the Heart of Worship
For many months now, God has been stirring my heart, revealing himself and asking me to truly worship him — […]


Screaming Headlines, Hurting People and God’s Kingdom
I follow the Daily Wire, a conservative news source driven by Christianity’s political protagonist Ben Shapiro. I’m subscribed, so I get […]

You Can Serve and Help Heal Your Faith Family
This message is for you if you are a discouraged, unsure or insecure follower of Jesus Christ. Yes, I realize we […]

Why are We Allowing Celebrities to Preach to Our Kids?
I was so utterly discouraged after talking to nearly 150 teen girls that I couldn’t even write this article I […]

The Fruit of Anger is Almost Always Rotten
If you’ve been a Christian for a long time, you’ve probably heard two distinct ideas about anger: The first is that […]

God is Our Shield
When you go into battle with the enemy, you are not alone.

10 Ways to Help Someone Who is Depressed
As someone who has personally struggled with depression and tried to minister to loved ones in the thick of it, […]

A Protest Against Refusing to Value Human Life
I’m writing this just a few days after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, so the United States […]

Christian Parenting-Part Three: The Way a Child Should Go
We have been unpacking the spiritual truth found in the most well-known verse in the Bible on child training: “Train […]

Some Questions to Ask Yourself, Mr. Chauvin
Dear Derek Chauvin, I began this letter to Mr. George Floyd, but I had a change of heart. Mr. Floyd […]

Real Religion is Faith That Works
Greg Stier, Founder and President of Dare 2 Share Ministries, tells the story of encountering a fan of Marilyn Manson […]

God’s Redemption Plan is for All People
Racism is not a new story and sadly, it isn’t an old one either. It wasn’t so long ago that […]

What not to do
He desires for you to have a joyful soul but not at the expense of a holy life.

Facing Rejection and Finding Acceptance
For four months I’ve been studying the book of Mark in the Bible because I received a slightly random and […]

Yes, the Answer to Racism is Jesus
Racism has been part of the human story for thousands of years. The Bible itself contains the history of tribal […]

Hot and Cold
As Christians, we sin and fail. But our proper response should always be to listen to the Holy Spirit’s conviction, repent and ask for forgiveness.

Ravi Zacharias, I Was a Life That Was Changed
I don’t think I would have been able to tell you who Ravi Zacharias was before Passion 2016, a college […]

Christian Parenting-Part Two: “Train up a Child”
This is the second of a three-part parenting series. Part One is at https://lifeword.org/blog/christian-parenting-part-one-laying-the-foundation/ The goal of parenting is to […]

Just What is it That We Expect From God?
Through the magic of social media, several years ago I reconnected with a close childhood friend. We had not communicated […]

What Boldness is Not
I want to be bold. Do you know what I mean? I want to live a life that makes a […]

4 Tempting Ways to Determine Your Identity
I’ve often said the most destructive force on earth is a man who doesn’t know who he is. When you […]

Family Blessings
During the holiday seasons, cherish the time with our family.

He’s a Lying Pervert: Why America May Never be Great Again
(Originally written on Election Day 2016) It’s a big day. We, the people, are obsessed with figuring out what to […]

When Faith Families Come Together Again
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth […]

Joe Costa and His Call to Serve Young People
The Costa Family Legacy Joe Costa left technology to become a champion for youth Osta became Costa when half his family moved to […]

Frustration, Patience, and the Game of Chess
I’ve never liked playing chess because I have never had the satisfaction of winning. As a kid, my brother would […]

Christian Parenting Part One: Laying the Foundation
Parenting. Now, that’s an emotionally charged word! It is no exaggeration to say that parenting can bring the highest highs […]

Biggest Understatement of all Time: Parenting is Hard
My kids are out of control. Before coronavirus, we had such a nice routine. Might I take a moment to brag? They […]