A flat tire on the way to church provides two chances to witness. A job promotion turns into ministry potential. A non-elective surgery brings estranged family members together. Louie Giglio has said, “God is always at work for His glory and for our good.” That’s a Romans 8:28 perspective for sure! As Christians, it is easy to say there is no such thing as luck, but to actually believe that God is intricately involved in the details of our lives … Continue reading →

If you’ve travelled with a group, you know the bond that forms with those traveling with you. As the Apostle Paul often concluded his letters, he ended with a verbal group photo to recognize some of the unsung heroes in his life. Everyone has a story. The rude person in front of you at the checkout line has a story. The fellow employee or student working next to you has a story. I heard a remarkable story one Sunday morning … Continue reading →

Is it possible that the Church-goers spend so much money and energy on materialism the very week that is designated for us to stop and be genuinely thankful, that by the time the last Sunday of November rolls around we have nothing left? No energy? No money? No desire to worship God? Having been a senior pastor now for 10 years, I have seen the same occurrence happen each year. The attendance on the last Sunday of November is less … Continue reading →

If you’re a college football fan, you know that rankings mean very little. There’s something that matters more than what some critics draw up on a marker board in ESPN’s conference room. Before the first kickoff ever happens, by looking at what coaches are drawing up on marker boards in the team’s field house. The same is true for a family. Where families have a clear and biblical strategy, success is inevitable. But when there’s no strategy, there’s no victory. … Continue reading →

I am thankful to live in a time where scholarly research for Biblical truth can be found so readily, but such conveniences do not come without accompanying challenges. Each week as a church family, we have the rare privilege of reading, sharing, and studying God’s Word together. Whether we stand or fall on our faces, I believe the reading of God’s Holy Word demands more reverence than any other piece of literature. It is living and active; it springs from … Continue reading →

Years ago William Willimon juxtaposed biblically correct Christians with politically correct Christians in an article entitled “Today’s Conservatives Sound Like Yesterday’s Liberals.” Essentially, what he said and what remains to be true in many churches is that when Bible-believing followers of Christ abandon biblical preaching and biblical living, grey washes away any lines of distinction. Whatever happened to “power in the Blood”? or “though our sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow”? Just recently I was … Continue reading →

March 15-27, 2012 I want to invite you to join me on this unforgettable trip! To travel the same sea, the same ports, and same cities which Paul journeyed will leave you overwhelmed with the sacrifices he made for the glory of Christ. Ending our trip in Rome will leave you speechless as you ponder the immense suffering of thousands of our Christian siblings all for the fame of Christ Jesus! Come along for the experience of a lifetime! For … Continue reading →

Mark Twain once commented, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Listening is a lot like that. Many books highlight the importance of listening, but they don’t actually tell us how to do it. This do-it-yourself approach to listening would work well if good listening skills came naturally. But unfortunately, our natural tendency is to listen too poorly, too little, and too late to make a real difference. We do the exact opposite of what James … Continue reading →

Most people who employ the term “much-needed rest” rarely exercise such a thought. All I knew was the light at the end of my tunnel of grind meant my thoughts were getting cloudy, my discernment was weak, my body was tired, temptations were escalating, and my emotions were fraying. What was worse is that I could tell that my family was feeding off my own instabilities. I knew we needed a break. We had set aside some time to depart … Continue reading →

What do parents in America want for their children? I think I can safely say that most of us want lots of friends, good grades, and health for our grade school children. When children hit high school parents want them to have the right kind of friends, a drug and alcohol-free life, athletic ability, good grades, and polite manners. When children get out of their teens, parents want them to have a good college education, a promising and prosperous career, … Continue reading →