Blog Archives

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 […]

1172 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 […]

1743 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, […]

1571 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.  […]

1776 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 […]

1060 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 […]

1448 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 […]

1656 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?” […]

1635 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 […]

1434 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 […]

2078 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 […]

1772 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 […]

1461 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 […]

1906 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 […]

1404 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 […]

1636 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 […]

1819 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” […]

1314 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 […]

1484 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 […]

1566 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 […]

1521 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 […]

1690 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 […]

2279 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 […]

2254 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 […]

2174 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 […]

1806 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. […]

2316 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 […]

1718 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 […]

1900 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 […]

1769 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 […]

1318 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 […]

1499 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 […]

1220 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, […]

1655 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 […]

10681 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 […]

1593 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 […]

1135 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 […]

5082 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 […]

1378 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 […]

1156 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 […]

1312 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 […]

1890 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 […]

1896 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 […]

1361 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, “. . […]

1284 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 […]

1692 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 […]

1727 Views
Oct 26, 2019 08:00am

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? […]

1958 Views
Oct 24, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

2755 Views
Oct 19, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

2145 Views
Oct 18, 2019 08:00am

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, […]

1491 Views