Blog Archives

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 […]

1439 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 […]

1110 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 […]

4714 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 […]

3376 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 […]

1936 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 […]

1159 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. […]

1877 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 […]

1413 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 […]

1171 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, […]

1308 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 […]

5553 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. […]

1128 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 […]

1292 Views
Aug 17, 2019 08:00am

Transforming Lives in a Library

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1128 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 […]

1384 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 […]

1024 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 […]

1784 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.

1622 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 […]

3751 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.

1588 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 […]

1071 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 […]

1145 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 […]

1303 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 […]

1467 Views
Jul 20, 2019 05:00am

Part Two: Free From Pornography For Good

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

1465 Views
Jul 17, 2019 16:10pm

Part One: The Prominence of Pornography

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

1303 Views
Jul 16, 2019 16:00pm

Discipleship Part One: How Did Jesus Do It?

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

1368 Views
Jul 15, 2019 13:00pm

What it Means to Have a Christian Attitude

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

6637 Views
Jul 09, 2019 13:30pm

Static? Move Closer to the Tower

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

2118 Views
Jul 03, 2019 07:00am

How to Control Your FOMO Once and for All

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

1429 Views
Jul 02, 2019 06:00am

Four Practical Lessons from Job’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

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

1706 Views
Jun 30, 2019 04:30am

Your Marriage May Be Falling Apart

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

1415 Views
Jun 27, 2019 10:00am

How to be Content in Three Acts (#2 of 3)

Act II: A Gift From God You Don’t Want (Numbers 11:4-20) In Act I we defined covetousness in four parts. Covetousness […]

1146 Views
Jun 26, 2019 10:00am

How to be Content in Three Acts (#1 of 3)

First Timothy 6:6-10 says, ”But godliness with contentment is great gain.For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing […]

1477 Views
Jun 25, 2019 07:00am

From Worrier to Warrior

My imagination ran wild…What if my friends or the kids got too close to the edge? What would happen then? And how far down was it?

1553 Views
Jun 23, 2019 13:44pm

Tips From the Must Have Parenting Handbook

Dr. Spock. Neuropsychology. Behavior modification. Brain science. Energy profiling (huh??).  With the plethora of books, blogs, and methods on parenting […]

1466 Views
Jun 22, 2019 07:00am

Complicated Yet So Simple

CGenesis 1:1 says that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. We often read the familiarity of […]

1049 Views
Jun 20, 2019 15:44pm

Static In Our Lives

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

1231 Views
Jun 13, 2019 06:00am

The Real Truth About Real Men

There are countless voices in our culture ringing through the air with definitions of what men should be like in […]

1911 Views
Jun 01, 2019 03:30am

Your Truth or My Truth?

In people’s lives, there must come a time when they decide for themselves what they really believe. Because I grew […]

1868 Views
May 30, 2019 07:00am

If It Feels Right, Do It?

“A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which […]

2232 Views
May 29, 2019 08:00am

To Each His Own?

“That may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.” Has anyone ever said this to you in […]

2223 Views
May 27, 2019 20:37pm

“Just follow your heart.”

Every time I see that phrase tweeted or represented in a pretty meme of some kind, I want to yell, […]

1849 Views
May 26, 2019 04:00am

Deliverer From the Enemy

John Paton (1824—1907), missionary to the New Hebrides Islands in the South Pacific, was on one occasion surrounded by a […]

1399 Views
May 24, 2019 13:00pm

I Never Dreamed

“I never dreamed” when I was a teen that my lifelong best friend would be murdered while sleeping in bed.  […]

1377 Views
May 22, 2019 10:00am

The Evil in This World

The most formidable problem against Christianity isn’t whether or not God exists, but rather, if he does exist, why he […]

1698 Views
May 20, 2019 08:30am

Saved to Serve

In people’s lives, there must come a time when they decide for themselves what they really believe. Because I grew […]

1576 Views
May 18, 2019 05:00am

Letter to the Class of 2019

Dear high school graduate, I see your smiling face, your parents’ arms thrown around you, hugging you tightly, and I […]

1517 Views
May 14, 2019 20:25pm

Invitation to Life

All it took was an invitation. An invitation to go to the church around the corner.  My family had just […]

1627 Views