Blog Archives

Aug 28, 2019 15:00pm

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. […]

1943 Views
Aug 27, 2019 06:00am

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 […]

1458 Views
Aug 26, 2019 04:00am

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 […]

1238 Views
Aug 25, 2019 06:00am

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, […]

1348 Views
Aug 24, 2019 06:30am

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 […]

5851 Views
Aug 23, 2019 14:00pm

Staying Christian in College: 7 Questions Parents Should Ask

You’ve detected trends that are leading kids away from Christianity in college. How do we fight back? In most cases, what it comes […]

1654 Views
Aug 22, 2019 08:00am

Technology in Ministry: Social Media

by Jake Tyson My grandfather once told me, “What is not used for God’s glory will be used by Satan for destruction.” […]

1605 Views
Aug 21, 2019 08:00am

Comparison-itis and Christ

by Joyce Parker When I get in a room of other women that I don’t know very well, I’m not immediately uncomfortable. […]

1160 Views
Aug 19, 2019 08:00am

Go Ahead: Burst Your Bubble

By Larry Barker, Director of North American Church Planting Our family was living in Romania in 2000 and we had […]

1331 Views
Aug 17, 2019 08:00am

Transforming Lives in a Library

.

1178 Views
Aug 16, 2019 08:00am

Ten Ways to Survive & Thrive in College

by Yalanda Merrell Thinking back to my college years, I’m reminded of . . .  long nights staying up late […]

1444 Views
Aug 14, 2019 08:00am

Hungry & You Fed Me

by Larry Barker, Director of North American Church Planting Lately, whenever I go into a gas station someone is always […]

1071 Views
Aug 13, 2019 08:30am

Three Reasons Your Prayers Should Always Include Praise

My wife and I are old school.  We try really hard to teach our three daughters their manners.  We believe […]

1867 Views
Aug 11, 2019 08:00am

Who is Jesus?

Jesus offered his life as a sacrifice for sin . . . the innocent paying the price of the guilty.

6830 Views
Aug 10, 2019 08:00am

Reflecting Christ in Marriage

If you have a good marriage, and if your parents modeled a good marriage for you, BE THANKFUL!! It occurred […]

1320 Views
Aug 09, 2019 08:00am

Greatest Wedding Story Ever Told

We should be making ourselves ready to be found without spot or blemish for our perfect groom, Jesus Christ.

1675 Views
Aug 08, 2019 07:00am

Lifeword: What I Learned as an Intern

by Melody Siebenmann I have almost completed 120 hours of internship work for Lifeword. And I must say it has […]

1328 Views
Aug 06, 2019 07:30am

Technology in Ministry

When I was younger, I remember my dad, who was a pastor, coming home from a preacher’s meeting. He and […]

1497 Views
Aug 05, 2019 06:30am

Ministry: Keeping It Real

It’s possible to be highly-trained and highly-regarded in your leadership role and be absolutely crumbling on the inside.

1145 Views
Aug 03, 2019 10:00am

No Matter What You’ve Done or Where You’ve Been

Spring Hunter is a woman who grew up in complete poverty, religiously adhered to a cult, suffered parental abandonment, became […]

1338 Views
Aug 02, 2019 11:30am

God of the Mountains and Valleys

“For you, O God, have tested us;     you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the […]

3841 Views
Jul 31, 2019 11:00am

Surrendered: Fully and Finally

I started drinking when I was fifteen because my parents were gone every weekend and my brother and sister would […]

1564 Views
Jul 28, 2019 17:48pm

Sharing Your Faith

Fear of rejection is the number one reason for neglecting to bring up spiritual topics in conversations.

1631 Views
Jul 26, 2019 13:55pm

Three Reasons to Have Patience

1 – Because love is patient “Love is patient,” (1 Corinthians 13:4).   Anyone else think “ouch” Yeah, my hand would […]

1114 Views
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 […]

1193 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 […]

1345 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 […]

1516 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 […]

1793 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, […]

1504 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 […]

1409 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 […]

1354 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 […]

1416 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 […]

6796 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 […]

2162 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 […]

1483 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 […]

1762 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 […]

1457 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 […]

838 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 […]

1185 Views
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 […]

1515 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?

1599 Views
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 […]

1516 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 […]

1086 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 […]

1280 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 […]

1998 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 […]

1782 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 […]

2042 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 […]

1921 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 […]

1688 Views