Blog Archives
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Why Your Kid is Obsessed With Video Games
Video games offer a world for your kids where they are the ones with power. The lure is easy to […]
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Blessings That Can’t Be Bought
A father took his family on a vacation to Washington, D.C. so that his two children would have the opportunity […]
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Three Prayers for Effective Evangelism
“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us that God […]
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Ministry and the Celebrity Culture
Everyone likes a pat on the back or for someone to say, “Great Job!” The reality is that pride is […]
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What Can Chickens and Scary Moms Teach Us About Jesus?
If you’ve done much reading through the Gospels, you know that Jesus has a long history of picking the most […]
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Wine at the Wedding and A Future Miracle
John 2:1-10 chronologically records the first miracle recorded in the Bible that Jesus performed: Turning water into wine at a […]
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The Kingdom of Self: 3 Ways to Conquer It
Why has it taken me so long to “get it”? It’s been 45 years, and I still don’t understand that […]
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Three Kinds of Worship
One Sunday morning a small boy was sitting by his mother during the morning worship service. Like most small children, […]
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“You Heard Her”: The Power of a Praying Mom
I recently wrote that Augustine, though raised by his Christian mother to love Jesus, was not a Christian for a […]
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Augustine: Pride, Sex and the Power of Jesus
Through my seminary studies, I recently read about the conversion of Augustine, one of the giants of Christian leadership and thought […]
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The Question Is NOT, “When Do Boys Become Men?
Shaping our boys is a daunting challenge. It’s one that lies heavy on every parent’s heart. I know it burdens […]
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Put Your Clothes On!
I have a love/hate relationship with my morning routine. There are things I absolutely LOVE! There are things I absolutely hate! […]
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The Birth of a Lioness
My whole life changed when I realized something as a young mama: Church was not enough. I know, I know […]
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9 Reasons You Should Study the Bible (Right Now)
Why should you study the Bible? It’s old. It’s long. There are a lot of weird names in it. And […]
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Jesus and Racism
Last year two black men were arrested in a Philadelphia Starbucks after the white manager contacted police. When a video […]
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Three Aspects of the Unchanging God
Sadness wrenched through my heart like a knife stabbing into my chest. A lump swelled in my throat and I […]
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The Gospel is Your Redo Button
Have you ever wished for a “Redo” button? Have you ever had a day that started off so completely on […]
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Want to Feel Full? Pray This Prayer.
Around 9:00 every night, my dog Duke stares longingly up at the cabinet above my husband’s recliner. He knows exactly […]
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Getting Rid of FOMO
FOMO (the fear of missing out) ain’t dead is it? Like, here I am age 28 and I still scroll […]
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Five Steps to Understanding the Bible
At one point in my life, I wanted to be an archeologist. I thought it would be amazing to dig […]
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11 UNHEALTHY Ways to Disciple Gen Z
In some ways, discipling Gen Z (those born anywhere from 1999-2015) is no different from any other generation preceding it. […]
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Where We Are, Where We Should Be
(Originally published March 2016) I haven’t weighed in much on the current political environment. Don’t get me wrong I believe this […]
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Reflecting Our Owners’ Character
In an article in the New Yorkermagazine, author Malcolm Gladwell writes that vicious dogs are often not inherently vicious, but are […]
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Technology in Ministry: Balance is the Key
When I was a kid, I was not motivated to learn how to ride a bike. It just wasn’t something […]
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Divorce: Beauty From Ashes
Divorce. In American society, it has become the norm. In fact, the United States has the sixth highest divorce rate […]
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Living When You Feel Like Dying
It was one year ago today that my baby girl stepped out of this world and into eternity. “For to […]
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The Relationship-Focused Church
Church planting is relational because the gospel is relational. When Jesus commissioned the disciples to “go and make disciples,” it […]
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Purpose in Pain
Divorce. It’s an ugly word, isn’t it? And yet in American society, it has become the norm. In fact, the […]
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Doubts Come Like a Thief in the Night
In 1972 the rapture movie A Thief in the Night was released, but I didn’t see it in a theater. I saw […]
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What is the Purpose of Life?
The Bible Confirms Our Struggle The author of Ecclesiastes says that life is “meaningless” almost forty times over the twelve […]
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What Daniel Says to Our Time
Is it possible to have a thriving relationship with God even in the middle of a culture gone crazy? Absolutely! And […]
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“I Choose Mercy!”
My daughter Meredith has always had a very tender heart. When she was little, she could cry the largest tears […]
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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 […]
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Holy or Happy?
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, gave us a pathway to happiness called the beatitudes. God blesses those who are […]
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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 […]
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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. […]
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Forgiving Like God Does
Have you ever watched a reality TV show where they are all trying to live together in a house or […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Giving God Control
The day my oldest daughter gave birth is a day forever imprinted in my memory. Since he was the first […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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A Solitary Firefighter
Every summer, I enjoy my precious bit of free time by reading a few books merely for enjoyment or my […]
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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. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]