Blog Archives
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 . . . […]
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 […]
Considering Celebrity Conversions
In recent news, a fair number of celebrity conversions have been taking place in the public eye. Justin Bieber has […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Twenty Seconds
There are only a handful of times in my life I have thought, “I could die in the next few […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Grateful: Not Just a Word on a Sign at Hobby Lobby
Hard to believe it’s already November, and it doesn’t seem possible, but it’s the month that officially begins the holiday […]
Mike and Laura Beth: From Brokenness to Mending by the Potter
Mike: Sin and Brokenness “…Looking back, I see there was no actual desire to pursue the things of God… Nonetheless, […]
5 Promises to You, My Daughter
Often when I put my daughter to bed I will not only pray with her, but I’ll catch myself repeating […]
3 Reasons Your Work Matters and 4 Parts of the Performance Scorecard
(The following is adapted from a devotional by the BMA’s Director of Operations John Meriweather.) Colossians 3:22-24 says, “. . […]
One Thousand Little Compromises
OUR PRIVATE CHOICES AFFECT EVERYONE WE KNOW Every moral decision that we make is like a brick in a wall […]
When You’ve Lost All Hope
The solution to keeping your heart ablaze with hope is redirecting your eyes to Christ. When your eyes remain fixed […]
Misrepresenting Christianity in America
(Originally posted February 2015) The not-so-popular news magazine, Newsweek, has started 2015 with cover article entitled “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s […]
25 Things Husbands Should Start Doing TODAY
The following list is a great way… …to start loving your wife… …in a way that makes her flourish! Have […]
Are You Consumed With Anxiety or Consumed With Peace?
In Christ I can be anxious for nothing, prayerful in everything and thankful for anything. Why is that, you ask? […]
The War Against Christianity
(Originally posted February 2015) Newsweek has started 2015 with a cover article entitled “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin.” […]
13 Red Letter Teachings of Jesus
No person in history has ever improved the moral teachings of Jesus. His words of morality were elevated to the […]
4 Ways to Defend Your Faith
If theism (God exists.) is a blue pair of glasses, atheism (There is no God.) is a red pair, and […]
15 Things Your Pastor Does Every Week
It’s funny. I’m asked (as a pastor) at least once a month, “So, like, what do pastors do when it’s not Sunday?” […]
Growing from “Ought To” to “Can Do” Living
You ought to go to church. You ought to read your Bible, eat right, quit smoking, pay your tithes, and be a better mom […]
Three Musts for Holy Desperation
“Holy Desperation” has been defined as when a congregation humbles themselves before God and realizes they can no longer keep […]
A Tattoo of the Cross
I had a conversation with a friend this week about tattoos. It got me thinking. She said… “I really want […]
To Halloween or Not To Halloween
(Originally published as an editorial in the Central Baptist College student newspaper Tower Times) More than a thousand years ago, […]
Six Ways, Single Mom, to Embrace Your Story
We’ve all done it. Stayed up late folding laundry or baking cookies or otherwise serving our kids. We’ve also not done it. We’ve been […]
Heather’s Story: God Brought Me out of the Pit
Heather Pantoja has recently accepted a position in which to serve at the BMA’s Global Ministry in Conway, Arkansas. I […]
Disagreeing Without Being Disagreeable in Today’s Culture
Disagreement usually sparks hatred. But when did disagreeing equate to hating? We, as a whole, have forgotten how to respectfully disagree. […]
11 Depression Dos and Don’ts
It’s a subject no one really wants to talk about. We whisper about it. We know it exists, but no […]
Football: The Struggle and the Victory
In school you are taught that there are four seasons in every year. However, for the Swart household, there are […]
4 Reasons You Should Prepare to Defend Your Faith
“Why do you believe in Jesus,” says the unbeliever, maybe a friend or a coworker who knows you go to […]
4 Dangers of Neglecting the Bible
Neglecting the Bible is nothing new in this world. But what we’re facing today in the West involves proclaiming Christians moving away […]
The Bible is Not a Book
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Jesus in Matthew 24:35 NLT) The Christian Bible […]
The Weirdo, The Fear and The Church
Be weird. Be random. Be who you are. Because you never know who would love the person you hide. ~ […]
Sports, Competition and Four Rules on Perspective
It was probably there inside me just waiting to get out, something about myself I didn’t know was possible. When […]