Blog Archives

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

Sadness wrenched through my heart like a knife stabbing into my chest. A lump swelled in my throat and I […]

Have you ever wished for a “Redo” button? Have you ever had a day that started off so completely on […]

Around 9:00 every night, my dog Duke stares longingly up at the cabinet above my husband’s recliner. He knows exactly […]

FOMO (the fear of missing out) ain’t dead is it? Like, here I am age 28 and I still scroll […]

At one point in my life, I wanted to be an archeologist. I thought it would be amazing to dig […]

(Originally published March 2016) I haven’t weighed in much on the current political environment. Don’t get me wrong I believe this […]

In an article in the New Yorkermagazine, author Malcolm Gladwell writes that vicious dogs are often not inherently vicious, but are […]

When I was a kid, I was not motivated to learn how to ride a bike. It just wasn’t something […]

It was one year ago today that my baby girl stepped out of this world and into eternity. “For to […]

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

Divorce.  It’s an ugly word, isn’t it?  And yet in American society, it has become the norm. In fact, the […]

In 1972 the rapture movie A Thief in the Night was released, but I didn’t see it in a theater. I saw […]

The Bible Confirms Our Struggle The author of Ecclesiastes says that life is “meaningless” almost forty times over the twelve […]

Is it possible to have a thriving relationship with God even in the middle of a culture gone crazy? Absolutely! And […]

On March 3, 2003 (3/3/3), my cousin Kevin and his wife Beth became parents for the first time when their […]

Overcomer is a feel-good, faith-based movie that challenges you to think about your true identity.  In the aptly named Christian […]

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

by Brandon Cox Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been an inspiration to me for a number of years because […]

Satan has been sowing seeds of deceit in my family. This is not surprising or unique because Satan is a […]

In Genesis chapter one, the Bible describes the creation of the world. As God paused to contemplate His work at […]

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

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

I make excuses for not reading the Bible every day. And this is coming from a pastor. A formally-trained-in-biblical-theology pastor. […]

Seriously, high school is tough. If it’s not the AP classes and the pressure for more college credits, it’s the […]

Truth. It’s a subject that has evolved and changed.  A topic that has been stretched, questioned and misused over time. Where […]

It’s too nice of a day to stay indoors! The flowers that the kids and I planted are doing GREAT, […]

Last Sunday was an incredible day of worship at our church! The music, fellowship, serving, and community that took place […]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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