Blog Archives

A healthy church should be obedient to what God has clearly commanded: making disciples

Keeping no record of wrongs and forgiving without limit seem impossible in today’s world.

Throughout their ministry the Gaitans have seen how God plants seeds in people’s hearts.

God’s plan for us doesn’t include living in fear but living in confident hope.

My objective that day was to get to the hospital in downtown Chicago before the surgery to have prayer with […]

There are many reasons Christians are losing the culture, but these are probably the top four. They are all ouch-worthy, […]

Peace. Oh, how we need it in our world today.  Before you say, “Duh, Captain Obvious!” or point the finger […]

There are many examples of people who thought they were healthy but when they visited the doctor it was the […]

Be still.Be quiet.Listen. Sometimes, when the world around us seems to spiral and spin off each page of every day, […]

Is it possible that you are “saved” and in the family of God, but you are sinning and you don’t […]

As usual, my plane was late and I did not think I would be able to make the connection. I […]

What is the antidote for racism, prejudice, hate, ethnic nationalism and supremacy? First of all, there is no form of […]

Pilate asked Jesus in John 18:38, “What is truth?”  And two thousand years later, we’re still asking . . . In […]

(Missionary to Thailand Brandon Lingle has written a parenting book in Thai, and he has graciously agreed to share it […]

When churches become healthy, thriving, and begin to live “sent” they accept the mission God has given them.   They realize […]

“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) I feel the truth of […]

At the risk of losing you before we get started, I confess that I am old enough to remember the […]

Real faith uses information for the purpose of transformation. D. L. Moody said, “the Bible was not given for merely […]

Greg Stier, Founder and President of Dare 2 Share Ministries, tells the story of encountering a fan of Marilyn Manson […]

For four months I’ve been studying the book of Mark in the Bible because I received a slightly random and […]

I want to be bold. Do you know what I mean? I want to live a life that makes a […]

It is true that fear has a destructive power in our life. But it is also true that faith in […]

People are afraid.   They are afraid of losing their health, wealth, mind, job, spouse or children.   They are afraid of […]

When the First World War ended, the King and Queen of Belgium wanted to honor President Hoover for the aid […]

Barnabas was, in my opinion, the greatest man in the New Testament other than Jesus.   Why?   Because Barnabas was an […]

Springtime means gardens for many people. While my husband and I have tried our hand at vegetable gardens before, it […]

Most of us would admit that we are living in times that are distinct from anything we have ever known. […]

I was born into a military family. Those are my roots, and because of that, I probably don’t see the […]

(Read “How to Transition into ‘Gospel Conversations’ with Non-Christians” as it builds on this blog. https://lifeword.org/blog/how-to-have-gospel-conversations-with-non-believers/ As you peel back […]

Easter may have looked different this year – yes. Virtual services, maybe a small family gathering for lunch depending on […]

As I sit to write these words, I have just listened to our national leaders warn us that we are […]

When was the last time you spread the good news?  What an odd time to think about spreading things!  News […]

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

When someone opposes you, do your words kind of soften? Are you tempted to pull punches, or change the subject altogether? […]

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

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

It’s something we’ve heard preached about plenty of times. It’s almost like broccoli: We know it’s good for us, but […]

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

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

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

Even if you’ve never read the Bible, you know who he is and what he did. Thesaurus.com lists Judas as a synonym […]

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

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

We’ve all heard the phrase “born again”. Some mock. Some scratch their temple. Some bend their knees in worship. But, […]

I’ve lost count of people who’ve come into my office asking, “How do I know I’m a Christian? Like, really know?” […]

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

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

During the holiday season, we always hear about going home or other family members coming home. It got me thinking […]

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

My name is John and I am a recovering church addict. Those are words that seem inappropriate. After all, church […]