Blog Archives

(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 […]

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

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 […]

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?

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

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

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