Blog Archives

Mar 31, 2020 08:00am

How to Have Gospel Conversations With Non-Believers

Sam Chan’s wonderful book Evangelism in a Skeptical World fleshes out a practical pathway to create “gospel conversations.”  Simply put, conversations have three […]

932 Views
Mar 24, 2020 14:00pm

Separation but Restoration

“Oh, death where is your sting? Oh, grace where is thy victory?”

738 Views
Mar 22, 2020 08:00am

How Do You Know if You’re Spiritual Enough?

Before we get started, I need to let you in on a little secret about a deeply ingrained insecurity that […]

870 Views
Mar 19, 2020 14:00pm

You can run but You can’t hide

Christ died for you knowing you would be a sinner.

909 Views
Mar 19, 2020 08:00am

This is How to Become a Sinner Saved by Grace

The image of a diamond is commonly used to show the multi-faceted reality of how sinners are saved by God. […]

1467 Views
Mar 18, 2020 08:00am

Coronavirus: Who’s Really in Control?

I don’t know how to change a tire.  I don’t know rocket science or calculus.  I don’t know how bad […]

1009 Views
Mar 15, 2020 08:00am

Don’t Settle For an Average Life with an Average Purpose

There are only two ways to live life: Your way.  God’s way.  There is no third way. To put it […]

1319 Views
Mar 12, 2020 08:00am

The Sunday Lunch Crowd is the Worst, Take it From Your Server

I’m a Christian currently working in the food industry, so I’m writing this article because it’s extremely important that the […]

3306 Views
Mar 05, 2020 14:00pm

Choice

God wants us to choose Him.

994 Views
Mar 05, 2020 08:00am

This is How the Cycle of Anger and Abuse Can Stop With You

Growing up, I thought my family was like every other family and then I learned that we weren’t. But wait, […]

1223 Views
Mar 03, 2020 14:00pm

Deep Breath

The Scriptures are deep breaths that satisfy our lungs and clear our minds.

827 Views
Mar 02, 2020 08:00am

Addiction’s Grip and What Happens When You Surrender

“Life isn’t worth living without it.”  Those six words spoken by my dad brought my world racing into high-definition focus […]

1084 Views
Feb 28, 2020 08:00am

Beautiful, Generous Giving Requires Humility

When an airline pilot charts his route, he is faced with the task of remaining on course until he arrives […]

867 Views
Feb 25, 2020 14:00pm

Best for Last

We were set apart from every other living thing – not only were we given a voice to speak, but we were given a conscience and a soul. From the beginning, we were created with the ability to choose.

960 Views
Feb 22, 2020 08:00am

This is How You Can be the Salt of the Earth

“Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.” […]

1345 Views
Feb 21, 2020 08:00am

What if Christians Acted Like the Body of Christ?

In the first century, when people became followers of Christ, they did so well aware of the cost (Luke 14:28). […]

3516 Views
Feb 20, 2020 08:00am

The High Price Others Pay for Our Missed Opportunities

“Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.” (Colossians 4:5) H. Jackson Brown has been quoted as saying, […]

844 Views
Feb 13, 2020 14:00pm

God Provides

God died for us, and in doing so, he provided for our future – with a tree.

920 Views
Jan 28, 2020 08:00am

This is What “Living Sent” Means

The command to “live sent” may or may not be a familiar phrase in today’s church vernacular. Same goes for […]

3040 Views
Jan 25, 2020 08:00am

Five Reasons Being a Prisoner is a Good Thing

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have […]

824 Views
Jan 23, 2020 08:00am

Steve’s Story: A Lesson in Love and Grace

It was another cold, rainy day in Washington, D.C.  Steve, an African American in his late 40s, was making his […]

829 Views
Jan 21, 2020 08:00am

Something Missing in Your Life? Don’t Start With Religion.

Perhaps one of the biggest frustrations in life is not knowing where to start. It is a common problem for […]

1170 Views
Jan 16, 2020 08:00am

This is Why a Sheep Loves to Read

In a pivotal passage, Jesus explains, “I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:14). In this verse he […]

1054 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, […]

957 Views
Dec 27, 2019 08:00am

Doing Ministry in the Christian Bubble

As a Christian (and a pastor, at that!) I can easily get into the rut of the infamous ‘Christian Bubble’ […]

815 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 […]

1025 Views
Dec 07, 2019 08:00am

Takeaways From Christmas Hymns – Part One

Silent night, holy night!Son of God, love’s pure light;Radiant beams from thy holy faceWith the dawn of redeeming grace,Jesus, Lord, […]

1023 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 […]

1173 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 […]

1168 Views
Nov 20, 2019 08:00am

Considering Celebrity Conversions

In recent news, a fair number of celebrity conversions have been taking place in the public eye. Justin Bieber has […]

826 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 […]

703 Views
Oct 28, 2019 08:00am

Misrepresenting Christianity in America

(Originally posted February 2015) The not-so-popular news magazine, Newsweek, has started 2015 with cover article entitled “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s […]

1226 Views
Oct 20, 2019 08:00am

Three Musts for Holy Desperation

“Holy Desperation” has been defined as when a congregation humbles themselves before God and realizes they can no longer keep […]

1018 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, […]

1022 Views
Oct 12, 2019 08:00am

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 […]

5014 Views
Oct 05, 2019 08:00am

Three Prayers for Effective Evangelism

“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us that God […]

2646 Views
Oct 01, 2019 08:00am

Wine at the Wedding and A Future Miracle

John 2:1-10 chronologically records the first miracle recorded in the Bible that Jesus performed: Turning water into wine at a […]

1249 Views
Sep 28, 2019 08:00am

“You Heard Her”: The Power of a Praying Mom

I recently wrote that Augustine, though raised by his Christian mother to love Jesus, was not a Christian for a […]

2088 Views
Sep 27, 2019 08:00am

Augustine: Pride, Sex and the Power of Jesus

Through my seminary studies, I recently read about the conversion of Augustine, one of the giants of Christian leadership and thought […]

1177 Views
Sep 21, 2019 08:00am

Three Aspects of the Unchanging God

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

1383 Views
Sep 20, 2019 08:00am

The Gospel is Your Redo Button

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

3263 Views
Sep 15, 2019 08:00am

Where We Are, Where We Should Be

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

1013 Views
Sep 10, 2019 08:00am

The Relationship-Focused Church

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

936 Views
Sep 07, 2019 17:00pm

What Daniel Says to Our Time

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

990 Views
Sep 05, 2019 17:00pm

Movie Review: Overcomer

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

1323 Views
Sep 05, 2019 08:00am

The Whole Gospel: Why Propitiation Matters

Ever heard a gospel presentation that went something like this: “We are sinners and our sin separates us from God. […]

1236 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 […]

826 Views
Aug 30, 2019 06:30am

More Languages, More People, More gospel

At the beginning of 2018 our language count was around forty. I say “around” because we couldn’t always get a […]

1351 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 […]

971 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 […]

1076 Views