Sin can be a touchy subject. Confronting sin is inconvenient because it’s much easier to make excuses or ignore it. Calling out sin makes us uncomfortable, but if we don’t confront it, we accept it…
Do You Feel Like It?
Championing and Reviving a Spirit of Joy
Have you ever thought, “Church is just boring.” No? Just me? Go ahead then, judge me, I can take it. I have sat through many services criticizing everything going on, imagining how I could do it better, and just wishing the service would end so I could leave. I was bored. It was boring. I wanted more…
Are You Limiting Yourself?
I believe God has created individual plans for His followers that are as unique and creative as each one of us. Sadly, I also believe many of us will never even begin to tap into the potential that God has placed within us. What could Christians achieve for God’s Kingdom if each one of us walked in faith following God’s true plan for our lives…
5 Ways to Practice Spiritual Disciplines
Choosing to Be Shepherded
Psalm 23 is one of the most famous Bible passages of all time. I read the passage often because it consistently serves as a reminder of who I am, who God is, and how the Lord desires to lead me. As I was reading Psalm 23 one day recently, I begin to consider the fact that for many years in my life, I lived in rebellion to the Lord as my shepherd. Quite honestly, I did not want Him to shepherd or lead me at all…
5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Trying to Decide Where to Serve
Are You Disengaged?
I recently had some trouble with my lawn mower. The blade wasn’t engaging and therefore I wasn’t getting any grass cut. My motor was full throttle, but the blade was not making any progress. This problem with my mower is the same problem some church members have: they are disengaged with the Church. Their motor still works, but…
Do You Need to Unplug?
Have you ever planned a trip to get away, relax, refuel and spend time with family only to find yourself and those you have pulled away to spend time with totally immersed in your devices? Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Netflix…the list goes on and on. It’s crazy to look around and see how drawn to our devices we can be…
Conversations in a Jar
School is back in session, and it would be difficult to find a family that’s not busy. Work, sports practices, games, rehearsals, lessons, homework, doctor’s appointments, and countless other activities keep our calendars full. Among all of the busyness, I would argue that it would also be difficult to find a family that doesn’t long for closer relationships and connection…
4 Best Ways to Train for a 5K
In life, we often get so wrapped up in day-to-day tasks and we forget to take care of bodies. Through Scripture, we know that God calls us to value our bodies. Our bodies are said to be a temple of the Holy Spirit, and we are called to take care of and honor God's temple. God's Word lead us to use our bodies and the gifts He has given us to achieve everything else that He's called us to do. What better way to hold us accountable of taking care of bodies than to train for a 5K…
The Slow Death of Commitment
Here is an observation from thirty years of ministry. Every member of a church is either growing in his or her commitment to that church, dying in his or her commitment, or maintaining in his or her church commitment. Honestly, maintaining usually doesn’t happen that much. The truth is, most church members are becoming more committed or less committed over time…
Examining Yourself Through God's Word
Not Okay with Lukewarm
Quality Time During the Summer “Slow-down”
Summer. What does that mean for you? For some it is a time to rest, getting caught up on that never ending list, and spending quality time with family. Well, at least that is what we all hope for. You know there is something about the summer season when people hope for time to slow down, allow for rest, and things to get reset…
8 Summer Recipes
One of the best ways to foster community is enjoying a meal together. What better time to come together than summer? Summer nights have a way of bringing people around the table for relaxed conversation and fun. We'd like to help you build community by providing some delicious recipes for your summertime menu…
The Three Disciples
You are probably thinking the title of this blog post has a major typo. It doesn’t. Yes, we typically talk about the disciples in terms of a dozen men Jesus spent the most time with and personally trained to eventually oversee His mission. No question, Jesus did have twelve disciples in whom He strategically invested. However, He also had three disciples that He took to a different level than the twelve…
15 Books for Spiritual Growth
Peace Be Still
You may know the story from where these words come, but in case you don’t, Jesus spoke these words when He was trying to calm the nerves of His disciples. The story is found in Mark 4:35-41. The simple version goes like this. Jesus was crossing the sea with his disciples in a boat…
10 Verses for Finding Joy
Let’s face it. It’s hard to find joy these days. Looking at the news can be devastating. We live in a society where every other day the flags are at half mast. People immediately choose sides and emotions rule our actions rather than reason. It’s easy to feel like the junk of this world is constantly swirling around us like an vicious tornado…