Blog Archives

Oct 12, 2019 08:00am

4 Reasons You Should Prepare to Defend Your Faith

“Why do you believe in Jesus,” says the unbeliever, maybe a friend or a coworker who knows you go to […]

5155 Views
Oct 11, 2019 08:00am

4 Dangers of Neglecting the Bible

Neglecting the Bible is nothing new in this world. But what we’re facing today in the West involves proclaiming Christians moving away […]

1560 Views
Oct 09, 2019 08:00am

The Weirdo, The Fear and The Church

Be weird. Be random. Be who you are. Because you never know who would love the person you hide. ~ […]

1115 Views
Oct 08, 2019 08:00am

Sports, Competition and Four Rules on Perspective

It was probably there inside me just waiting to get out, something about myself I didn’t know was possible. When […]

772 Views
Oct 07, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1010 Views
Oct 06, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

780 Views
Oct 03, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

767 Views
Oct 02, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

989 Views
Sep 28, 2019 08:00am

“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 […]

2162 Views
Sep 26, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

838 Views
Sep 25, 2019 08:00am

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! […]

1021 Views
Sep 24, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1514 Views
Sep 23, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1339 Views
Sep 22, 2019 08:00am

Jesus and Racism

Last year two black men were arrested in a Philadelphia Starbucks after the white manager contacted police. When a video […]

1040 Views
Sep 21, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1414 Views
Sep 20, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

3314 Views
Sep 19, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1034 Views
Sep 18, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1194 Views
Sep 17, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

964 Views
Sep 15, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1033 Views
Sep 14, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

995 Views
Sep 13, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

1115 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 […]

1178 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 […]

954 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 […]

1114 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 […]

1139 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 […]

935 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 […]

1010 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 […]

1169 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 […]

1363 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 […]

1167 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 […]

846 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 […]

4141 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 […]

2812 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 […]

1622 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 […]

995 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. […]

1542 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 […]

1216 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 […]

987 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, […]

1109 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 […]

4169 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. […]

939 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 […]

1092 Views
Aug 17, 2019 08:00am

Transforming Lives in a Library

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906 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 […]

1097 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 […]

854 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 […]

1551 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.

1324 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 […]

3125 Views