Blog Archives

Jul 25, 2019 09:30am

My Spiritual Journey

A SEASON OF GROWTH Time moves quickly from us, never returning. It’s our most valuable, non-replenishable asset. We can make […]

1057 Views
Jul 24, 2019 16:52pm

From Your Big Sister

Dear baby, This is Melody, writing to you the night before you are born into this world.  There are a […]

1218 Views
Jul 22, 2019 16:26pm

But It’s Not My Fault

It’s obvious to me in the last sixty years there’s been a dramatic decline in the acceptance of personal responsibility […]

1366 Views
Jul 21, 2019 11:00am

Mike Jones: A Lifeword Story of Grace and Mercy

Matthew chapter 17 has the account of Jesus with Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. While they […]

1608 Views
Jul 20, 2019 05:00am

Part Two: Free From Pornography For Good

Pornography is a deadly mistress. She stands poised with promises, willing and ready at a moment’s notice. She strikes unexpectedly, […]

1366 Views
Jul 18, 2019 05:30am

Discipleship Part Two: Three Chairs

SOAR . . . Man, I love this youth conference. Sold Out And Radical.  Every summer, we gather up our […]

1277 Views
Jul 17, 2019 16:10pm

Part One: The Prominence of Pornography

Pornography addiction is most assuredly an androgynous affair, but for men in particular, the stimulus from pornography activates parts of […]

1184 Views
Jul 16, 2019 16:00pm

Discipleship Part One: How Did Jesus Do It?

It wasn’t until after my first year of college that I was truly saved.  You’re probably thinking, what does that […]

1265 Views
Jul 15, 2019 13:00pm

What it Means to Have a Christian Attitude

The following is adapted from a sermon by Jeff Swart. Philippians 4:8 may be the most important verse in the […]

6359 Views
Jul 09, 2019 13:30pm

Static? Move Closer to the Tower

I hate static.  Not like the kind that makes your clothes cling to you. I’m talking about static on the […]

2014 Views
Jul 03, 2019 07:00am

How to Control Your FOMO Once and for All

FOMO (the “fear of missing out”) is a real thing, and it’s more intense than ever. We’re afraid we’ll miss […]

1334 Views
Jul 02, 2019 06:00am

Four Practical Lessons from Job’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Have you ever had a day that goes something like this: You are trying to leave for work and the […]

1582 Views
Jun 30, 2019 04:30am

Your Marriage May Be Falling Apart

t I remember very clearly the day God showed me an important truth about my relationship with him. I’m either actively […]

1324 Views
Jun 28, 2019 05:00am

How to be Content in Three Acts (#3 of 3)

ACT III: The Consequences of Covetousness (Numbers 11:31—35)  Let’s return to the children of Israel in the wilderness:  Numbers 11:31: “Now […]

723 Views
Jun 27, 2019 10:00am

How to be Content in Three Acts (#2 of 3)

Act II: A Gift From God You Don’t Want (Numbers 11:4-20) In Act I we defined covetousness in four parts. Covetousness […]

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Jun 26, 2019 10:00am

How to be Content in Three Acts (#1 of 3)

First Timothy 6:6-10 says, ”But godliness with contentment is great gain.For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing […]

1381 Views
Jun 25, 2019 07:00am

From Worrier to Warrior

My imagination ran wild…What if my friends or the kids got too close to the edge? What would happen then? And how far down was it?

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Jun 23, 2019 13:44pm

Tips From the Must Have Parenting Handbook

Dr. Spock. Neuropsychology. Behavior modification. Brain science. Energy profiling (huh??).  With the plethora of books, blogs, and methods on parenting […]

1372 Views
Jun 22, 2019 07:00am

Complicated Yet So Simple

CGenesis 1:1 says that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. We often read the familiarity of […]

964 Views
Jun 20, 2019 15:44pm

Static In Our Lives

I hate static.  Not like the kind that makes your clothes cling to you.  I’m talking about static on the […]

1095 Views
Jun 13, 2019 06:00am

The Real Truth About Real Men

There are countless voices in our culture ringing through the air with definitions of what men should be like in […]

1770 Views
Jun 06, 2019 14:00pm

UPDATE: Blessings and Difficulties of Ministry

(Click here to read the original article published on May 31, 2019.) On the sixth day of the strikes by […]

1645 Views
Jun 03, 2019 23:00pm

He’s Already There

Searching… My email is like the pit of despair. I keep everything, you know, just in case. Like all the […]

1897 Views
Jun 01, 2019 03:30am

Your Truth or My Truth?

In people’s lives, there must come a time when they decide for themselves what they really believe. Because I grew […]

1748 Views
May 31, 2019 20:25pm

Blessings and Difficulties of Ministry

(Click here to read the UPDATE on this article) It is three a.m.  In the darkness of the morning, Lifeword […]

1528 Views
May 30, 2019 07:00am

If It Feels Right, Do It?

“A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which […]

2114 Views
May 29, 2019 08:00am

To Each His Own?

“That may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.” Has anyone ever said this to you in […]

2051 Views
May 27, 2019 20:37pm

“Just follow your heart.”

Every time I see that phrase tweeted or represented in a pretty meme of some kind, I want to yell, […]

1752 Views
May 26, 2019 04:00am

Deliverer From the Enemy

John Paton (1824—1907), missionary to the New Hebrides Islands in the South Pacific, was on one occasion surrounded by a […]

1296 Views
May 24, 2019 13:00pm

I Never Dreamed

“I never dreamed” when I was a teen that my lifelong best friend would be murdered while sleeping in bed.  […]

1306 Views
May 22, 2019 10:00am

The Evil in This World

The most formidable problem against Christianity isn’t whether or not God exists, but rather, if he does exist, why he […]

1520 Views
May 20, 2019 08:30am

Saved to Serve

In people’s lives, there must come a time when they decide for themselves what they really believe. Because I grew […]

1431 Views
May 18, 2019 05:00am

Letter to the Class of 2019

Dear high school graduate, I see your smiling face, your parents’ arms thrown around you, hugging you tightly, and I […]

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May 16, 2019 11:00am

Graduations & Yanking the Rug

Eighteen years…Eighteen years and two months to be exact. That should have been plenty of time to prepare for what […]

1162 Views
May 14, 2019 20:25pm

Invitation to Life

All it took was an invitation. An invitation to go to the church around the corner.  My family had just […]

1477 Views
May 12, 2019 19:30pm

The Sting of Loneliness

I remember a time when a very long relationship ended, and the feeling was like a shotgun to my chest. […]

1361 Views
May 10, 2019 05:30am

Hi, I’m Lori. I’m infertile. I’m a mom.

“Mrs. Cline” the lady behind the receptionist desk called out.  I walked up and answered, “Yes.”  “Are you here for […]

2206 Views
May 08, 2019 10:30am

Mother’s Day Misery: The Road to Motherhood

Mother’s Day Sundays would bring such heartache for many years. Oh sure, I still had my mom with me (300 […]

1036 Views
May 04, 2019 07:30am

Depression: the Battle & the Defeat

Did Jesus battle depression? Seems like a strange question at first, but consider Isaiah’s prophesy of the coming Messiah: “He […]

1334 Views
May 01, 2019 09:00am

Two Lies & Two Truths About Joy & Peace

Do you want more joy and peace in your life? Who doesn’t, right? I’ve never heard anyone say, “You know, […]

1225 Views
Apr 29, 2019 07:00am

What Happens When You Pray?

Do you ever wonder what happens when you pray? Sometimes we need a reminder. You may value prayer and you […]

1703 Views
Apr 27, 2019 15:58pm

Prayer Doesn’t Fix Everything, But It Changes Everything

I’ve been a praying person for much of my life. Has it worked? Has it fixed me entirely? Apparently not, because I […]

1360 Views
Apr 25, 2019 17:36pm

Responsibility Made Me Do It

It was around 1:00 in the morning when I was jarred awake by my wife slapping me in the chest […]

1383 Views
Apr 20, 2019 07:00am

Resurrection: The Burden of Proof

The conception and rise of Christianity in the first century was due to the resurrection of Jesus, and so profoundly […]

1774 Views
what really happened to Jesus when he was crucified
Apr 19, 2019 07:00am

Crucifixion: His Agony, the World’s Redemption

“Jesus died on a cross.”  We should not be able to utter that without an utterly overwhelming shudder of awe, […]

2441 Views
Apr 18, 2019 09:00am

Addiction Part Three: Restoring Broken Relationships

There’s something beautiful about a restored relationship between a child and their father. At one time, I was angry with […]

1566 Views
Apr 15, 2019 09:00am

Part Two: The Relentless Grip of Addiction

“Life isn’t worth living without it.”  Those six words spoken by my dad brought my world racing into high-definition focus […]

1544 Views
Apr 10, 2019 18:10pm

Addiction Part One: Returning to Bad Choices

In his wilder days, my dad had a group that he partied with. They were good guys but they all […]

1752 Views
Apr 03, 2019 19:27pm

Thoughts, Habits, and a Changed Life

Your life is driven by your thoughts and habits, so let God transform them them today.

1582 Views
Mar 28, 2019 18:44pm

When Things Fall Apart

Sometimes, everything around you seems to be falling apart. The markets are down and retirement looks bleak… You can’t seem […]

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