Blog Archives
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Just a Baby
I know it sounds wrong to say but Christmas really is a strange time of year in some ways. For […]
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What DID Mary Know?
The Christmas song “Mary, Did You Know?” was written by Mark Lowery and Buddy Greene in 1991. It quickly became a […]
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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” […]
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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 […]
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Immanuel – God With Us
Our most dire need in moments of fear and tragedy is the presence of someone who is willing to enter […]
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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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OUR COMMON ENEMY
It’s a heated environment these days. Politically. Racially. Religiously. Opinions abound. Listening is lacking. Fingers are pointed. It’s an environment […]
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Yes, Son, There are Two Genders
What do you do when your child asks an honest (yet culturally unpopular!) question? One that, if answered biblically, will […]
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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, “. . […]
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The War Against Christianity
(Originally posted February 2015) Newsweek has started 2015 with a cover article entitled “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin.” […]
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4 Ways to Defend Your Faith
If theism (God exists.) is a blue pair of glasses, atheism (There is no God.) is a red pair, and […]
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15 Things Your Pastor Does Every Week
It’s funny. I’m asked (as a pastor) at least once a month, “So, like, what do pastors do when it’s not Sunday?” […]
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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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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 […]
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Disagreeing Without Being Disagreeable in Today’s Culture
Disagreement usually sparks hatred. But when did disagreeing equate to hating? We, as a whole, have forgotten how to respectfully disagree. […]
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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 […]
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4 Dangers of Neglecting the Bible
Neglecting the Bible is nothing new in this world. But what we’re facing today in the West involves proclaiming Christians moving away […]
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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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Ministry and the Celebrity Culture
Everyone likes a pat on the back or for someone to say, “Great Job!” The reality is that pride is […]
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What Can Chickens and Scary Moms Teach Us About Jesus?
If you’ve done much reading through the Gospels, you know that Jesus has a long history of picking the most […]
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Put Your Clothes On!
I have a love/hate relationship with my morning routine. There are things I absolutely LOVE! There are things I absolutely hate! […]
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9 Reasons You Should Study the Bible (Right Now)
Why should you study the Bible? It’s old. It’s long. There are a lot of weird names in it. And […]
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Getting Rid of FOMO
FOMO (the fear of missing out) ain’t dead is it? Like, here I am age 28 and I still scroll […]
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11 UNHEALTHY Ways to Disciple Gen Z
In some ways, discipling Gen Z (those born anywhere from 1999-2015) is no different from any other generation preceding it. […]
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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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Reflecting Our Owners’ Character
In an article in the New Yorkermagazine, author Malcolm Gladwell writes that vicious dogs are often not inherently vicious, but are […]
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Technology in Ministry: Balance is the Key
When I was a kid, I was not motivated to learn how to ride a bike. It just wasn’t something […]
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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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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. […]
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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 […]
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Hungry & You Fed Me
by Larry Barker, Director of North American Church Planting Lately, whenever I go into a gas station someone is always […]
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Lifeword: What I Learned as an Intern
by Melody Siebenmann I have almost completed 120 hours of internship work for Lifeword. And I must say it has […]
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Ministry: Keeping It Real
It’s possible to be highly-trained and highly-regarded in your leadership role and be absolutely crumbling on the inside.
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Mike Jones: A Lifeword Story of Grace and Mercy
Matthew chapter 17 has the account of Jesus with Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. While they […]
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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 […]
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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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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 […]
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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 […]
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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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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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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 […]
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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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Resurrection: The Burden of Proof
The conception and rise of Christianity in the first century was due to the resurrection of Jesus, and so profoundly […]