Blog Archives

A new year is here! Not just a new year – a new decade. Somehow, it seems impossible to think […]

I have been so busy this last month. Christmas parties, decorating for Christmas, wrapping presents, keeping kids out of the […]

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

One of my favorite subtle movie lines is found in The Grinch (the Jim Carrey edition). In a scene where he’s busy […]

“Therefore, Christian men, be sureWealth or rank possessingYe who now will bless the poorShall yourselves find blessing”  This is the […]

I know it sounds wrong to say but Christmas really is a strange time of year in some ways. For […]

The Christmas song “Mary, Did You Know?” was written by Mark Lowery and Buddy Greene in 1991.  It quickly became a […]

Black Friday is so named because Americans do so much shopping that a lot of retailers who have been in the “red” […]

Even if you’re an atheist, you know that Jesus is the reason for the season.  It’s unpopular and politically incorrect today […]

Our most dire need in moments of fear and tragedy is the presence of someone who is willing to enter […]

If you’re like me, the word evangelism is a like a guilt switch in my soul. You say “evangelism” and immediately three […]

It’s a heated environment these days. Politically. Racially. Religiously. Opinions abound.  Listening is lacking.  Fingers are pointed.  It’s an environment […]

What do you do when your child asks an honest (yet culturally unpopular!) question? One that, if answered biblically, will […]

(The following is adapted from a devotional by the BMA’s Director of Operations John Meriweather.) Colossians 3:22-24 says, “. . […]

(Originally posted February 2015) Newsweek has started 2015 with a cover article entitled “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin.” […]

If theism (God exists.) is a blue pair of glasses, atheism (There is no God.) is a red pair, and […]

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?” […]

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

I had a conversation with a friend this week about tattoos. It got me thinking. She said… “I really want […]

Disagreement usually sparks hatred. But when did disagreeing equate to hating? We, as a whole, have forgotten how to respectfully disagree. […]

“Why do you believe in Jesus,” says the unbeliever, maybe a friend or a coworker who knows you go to […]

Neglecting the Bible is nothing new in this world. But what we’re facing today in the West involves proclaiming Christians moving away […]

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

Everyone likes a pat on the back or for someone to say, “Great Job!”  The reality is that pride is […]

If you’ve done much reading through the Gospels, you know that Jesus has a long history of picking the most […]

I have a love/hate relationship with my morning routine. There are things I absolutely LOVE! There are things I absolutely hate! […]

Why should you study the Bible? It’s old. It’s long. There are a lot of weird names in it. And […]

FOMO (the fear of missing out) ain’t dead is it? Like, here I am age 28 and I still scroll […]

In some ways, discipling Gen Z (those born anywhere from 1999-2015) is no different from any other generation preceding it. […]

(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 […]

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

I make excuses for not reading the Bible every day. And this is coming from a pastor. A formally-trained-in-biblical-theology pastor. […]

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 Larry Barker, Director of North American Church Planting Lately, whenever I go into a gas station someone is always […]

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by Melody Siebenmann I have almost completed 120 hours of internship work for Lifeword. And I must say it has […]

It’s possible to be highly-trained and highly-regarded in your leadership role and be absolutely crumbling on the inside.

Matthew chapter 17 has the account of Jesus with Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. While they […]

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 […]

FOMO (the “fear of missing out”) is a real thing, and it’s more intense than ever. We’re afraid we’ll miss […]

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 […]

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

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

John Paton (1824—1907), missionary to the New Hebrides Islands in the South Pacific, was on one occasion surrounded by a […]

In people’s lives, there must come a time when they decide for themselves what they really believe. Because I grew […]

The conception and rise of Christianity in the first century was due to the resurrection of Jesus, and so profoundly […]