Blog Archives
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 […]
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 […]
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?” […]
The Best Resolution Ever
There is no escaping the fact that we live in a very divided country. It seems that the political division […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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” […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Twenty Seconds
There are only a handful of times in my life I have thought, “I could die in the next few […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, “. . […]
One Thousand Little Compromises
OUR PRIVATE CHOICES AFFECT EVERYONE WE KNOW Every moral decision that we make is like a brick in a wall […]
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 […]
Are You Consumed With Anxiety or Consumed With Peace?
In Christ I can be anxious for nothing, prayerful in everything and thankful for anything. Why is that, you ask? […]
13 Red Letter Teachings of Jesus
No person in history has ever improved the moral teachings of Jesus. His words of morality were elevated to the […]
A Tattoo of the Cross
I had a conversation with a friend this week about tattoos. It got me thinking. She said… “I really want […]
To Halloween or Not To Halloween
(Originally published as an editorial in the Central Baptist College student newspaper Tower Times) More than a thousand years ago, […]
Six Ways, Single Mom, to Embrace Your Story
We’ve all done it. Stayed up late folding laundry or baking cookies or otherwise serving our kids. We’ve also not done it. We’ve been […]
11 Depression Dos and Don’ts
It’s a subject no one really wants to talk about. We whisper about it. We know it exists, but no […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. ~ […]