Blog Archives

Jan 19, 2020 08:00am

What Does Your Life Reflect?

I noticed the other day that my wife has been using the word precious more frequently. I’ve known her for over twelve years, […]

1504 Views
Jan 17, 2020 08:00am

This is How Job Teaches a Lesson on Character

One of my mentors has taught me a great lesson on character. His name is Job. Even though we’ve never met […]

921 Views
Jan 16, 2020 08:00am

This is Why a Sheep Loves to Read

In a pivotal passage, Jesus explains, “I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:14). In this verse he […]

1209 Views
Jan 15, 2020 08:00am

This is Why Satan Wants Your Soul

I suppose two mistakes can be made as you ponder Satan’s work in your life. While we can agree his […]

10480 Views
Jan 12, 2020 08:00am

A New Year, a New Decade, the Same Promise

Starting a new decade makes me think of all kinds of things. This year will mark twenty years since I […]

842 Views
Jan 11, 2020 08:00am

Do You Have “Dishwasher Faith”?

It seems to me that the dishwasher has got to be the most misunderstood appliance in our homes today. I […]

1184 Views
Jan 09, 2020 08:00am

What Does it Mean to be “Born Again”?

We’ve all heard the phrase “born again”. Some mock. Some scratch their temple. Some bend their knees in worship. But, […]

1087 Views
Jan 08, 2020 08:00am

When Godly People Get Depressed

I recently wrote the following tweet, and it received a lot of reaction. Good people get depressed. Godly people get depressed.  […]

1343 Views
Jan 02, 2020 08:00am

What We Missed During the Busy-ness of Christmas

I have been so busy this last month. Christmas parties, decorating for Christmas, wrapping presents, keeping kids out of the […]

828 Views
Jan 01, 2020 08:00am

The Secret of Christianity We So Often Forget

The secret of Christianity is that God has given us himself. That’s the prize. And many Christians today have lost […]

1101 Views
Dec 31, 2019 08:00am

When Everything Seems to be Falling Apart

Sometimes, everything around you seems to be falling apart. Your kids are making bad choices… You can’t seem to communicate […]

1277 Views
Dec 30, 2019 08:00am

How Do I Know I’m Really a Christian?

I’ve lost count of people who’ve come into my office asking, “How do I know I’m a Christian? Like, really know?” […]

1098 Views
Dec 29, 2019 08:00am

The Best Resolution Ever

There is no escaping the fact that we live in a very divided country. It seems that the political division […]

1076 Views
Dec 28, 2019 08:00am

He Calms the Storm and He Heals Our Hearts

Late one evening, Jesus and the disciples boarded a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee to the other side […]

1639 Views
Dec 25, 2019 08:00am

Lesson From The Grinch

One of my favorite subtle movie lines is found in The Grinch (the Jim Carrey edition). In a scene where he’s busy […]

1419 Views
Dec 24, 2019 08:00am

Your Christmas Table Isn’t Extravagant Enough

Wow, the spread this year! Whether you’re catering in from a restaurant (be honest, it’s tempting!) or delegating dishes to […]

1176 Views
Dec 22, 2019 08:00am

Surviving the Most Wonderful Time of the Year when You’re Grieving

by Lifeword Executive Director Donny Parrish Christmas can be the worst.  That doesn’t sound very religious coming from a guy […]

1526 Views
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 […]

1012 Views
Dec 19, 2019 08:00am

The Battle of Self Worth in a Performance-Based Culture

I love to please people. I work hard to achieve things- stupid, meaningless things or accomplishments that I think people […]

1068 Views
Dec 15, 2019 08:00am

How to Have Joy in the Suffering

I’ve never understood why Christians are called to be joyful sufferers until recently. Like, I understood the theology, sure. I […]

1317 Views
Dec 14, 2019 08:00am

The Antidote to Holiday Consumerism? Generosity!

Black Friday is so named because Americans do so much shopping that a lot of retailers who have been in the “red” […]

922 Views
Dec 13, 2019 08:00am

Less Shopping, More Serving During the Christmas Season

Even if you’re an atheist, you know that Jesus is the reason for the season.  It’s unpopular and politically incorrect today […]

1183 Views
Dec 12, 2019 08:00am

A Life-Giving Home for the Holidays

During the holiday season, we always hear about going home or other family members coming home. It got me thinking […]

1159 Views
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 […]

1153 Views
Dec 08, 2019 08:00am

Keeping a Soft Heart Amid the Battle of Doctrine

Even though we daily battle against the grim things of this world, keep a soft heart, Christian. A calloused heart […]

1274 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 […]

1600 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 […]

1686 Views
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 […]

1612 Views
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 […]

1417 Views
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. […]

1762 Views
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 […]

1294 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 […]

1431 Views
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 […]

1359 Views
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 […]

906 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 […]

1162 Views
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 […]

842 Views
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, […]

1253 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 […]

9358 Views
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 […]

1224 Views
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 […]

790 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 […]

3906 Views
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 […]

1016 Views
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 […]

761 Views
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 […]

930 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 […]

1432 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 […]

1447 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 […]

1040 Views
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, “. . […]

937 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 […]

1295 Views
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 […]

1338 Views