Blog Archives

Sep 12, 2019 08:00am

Divorce: Beauty From Ashes

Divorce.  In American society, it has become the norm. In fact, the United States has the sixth highest divorce rate […]

2620 Views
Sep 11, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1793 Views
Sep 10, 2019 08:00am

The Relationship-Focused Church

Church planting is relational because the gospel is relational. When Jesus commissioned the disciples to “go and make disciples,” it […]

1467 Views
Sep 09, 2019 17:00pm

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 […]

1563 Views
Sep 09, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1697 Views
Sep 08, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1550 Views
Sep 07, 2019 17:00pm

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 […]

1524 Views
Sep 07, 2019 08:00am

“I Choose Mercy!”

My daughter Meredith has always had a very tender heart.  When she was little, she could cry the largest tears […]

1783 Views
Sep 06, 2019 17:00pm

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 […]

1820 Views
Sep 06, 2019 08:00am

Holy or Happy?

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, gave us a pathway to happiness called the beatitudes. God blesses those who are […]

1242 Views
Sep 05, 2019 17:00pm

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 […]

3511 Views
Sep 05, 2019 08:00am

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. […]

1956 Views
Sep 04, 2019 17:00pm

Forgiving Like God Does

Have you ever watched a reality TV show where they are all trying to live together in a house or […]

1739 Views
Sep 04, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1432 Views
Sep 03, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

5619 Views
Sep 02, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1519 Views
Sep 01, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

4158 Views
Aug 31, 2019 08:00am

Giving God Control

 The day my oldest daughter gave birth is a day forever imprinted in my memory. Since he was the first […]

2321 Views
Aug 30, 2019 06:30am

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 […]

2017 Views
Aug 29, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1407 Views
Where is God in the hard times
Aug 28, 2019 19:00pm

A Solitary Firefighter

Every summer, I enjoy my precious bit of free time by reading a few books merely for enjoyment or my […]

1476 Views
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. […]

2511 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 […]

1847 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 […]

1605 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, […]

1736 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 […]

6895 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 […]

1937 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.” […]

1984 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. […]

1417 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 […]

1583 Views
Aug 17, 2019 08:00am

Transforming Lives in a Library

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1544 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 […]

1871 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 […]

1344 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 […]

2456 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.

7533 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 […]

1620 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.

1972 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 […]

1573 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 […]

1746 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.

1426 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 […]

1708 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 […]

4443 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 […]

1924 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.

1973 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 […]

1433 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 […]

1532 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 […]

1605 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 […]

1787 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 […]

2330 Views