Blog Archives

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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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’ […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

5777 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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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. […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

1051 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 […]

1184 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 […]

925 Views
Aug 11, 2019 08:00am

Who is Jesus?

Jesus offered his life as a sacrifice for sin . . . the innocent paying the price of the guilty.

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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.

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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.

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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 […]

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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 […]

1068 Views
Jun 06, 2019 14:00pm

UPDATE: Blessings and Difficulties of Ministry

(Click here to read the original article published on May 31, 2019.) On the sixth day of the strikes by […]

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May 31, 2019 20:25pm

Blessings and Difficulties of Ministry

(Click here to read the UPDATE on this article) It is three a.m.  In the darkness of the morning, Lifeword […]

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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 […]

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what really happened to Jesus when he was crucified
Apr 19, 2019 07:00am

Crucifixion: His Agony, the World’s Redemption

“Jesus died on a cross.”  We should not be able to utter that without an utterly overwhelming shudder of awe, […]

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