Blog Archives

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’ […]

1010 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 […]

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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 […]

1056 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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

2138 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 […]

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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 […]

1436 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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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. […]

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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 […]

1335 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 […]

1667 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 […]

1478 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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 . . . […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

987 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 […]

1199 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 […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

1292 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 […]

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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 […]

2167 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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

821 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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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Nov 07, 2019 08:00am

Twenty Seconds

There are only a handful of times in my life I have thought, “I could die in the next few […]

966 Views
Nov 06, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1474 Views
Nov 05, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1481 Views
Nov 04, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1339 Views
Nov 03, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1069 Views
Nov 02, 2019 08:00am

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, […]

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Nov 01, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

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Oct 31, 2019 08:00am

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, “. . […]

972 Views
Oct 30, 2019 08:00am

One Thousand Little Compromises

OUR PRIVATE CHOICES AFFECT EVERYONE WE KNOW Every moral decision that we make is like a brick in a wall […]

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Oct 29, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1386 Views
Oct 28, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1407 Views
Oct 27, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1303 Views
Oct 26, 2019 08:00am

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? […]

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