Have you ever been on the receiving end of grace? When you are it feels like a warm fire on a cold winter’s day.
If you have ever needed it and not received it you know it feels like someone turning their back on you while you’re drowning.
Category Archives: Church
What Do I Do With My Doubts?
Inevitably you will bump up against some situations that cause you to doubt. A financial blow that came out of nowhere. Your spouse tells you they want a divorce. You get laid off. A situation goes from bad to worse and you find yourself asking, “Where are you God? Are you paying attention? Why is this happening? Why won’t you answer my prayers?”
We find ourselves in this situation when we have a dream of how we think our life should turn out but the life we are living looks nothing like it. In fact, it feels like the exact opposite.
Why I’m an Optimist About the Future
And Why You Should Be Too!
When you think about the future are you scared or hopeful? Have you ever noticed how most movies about the future make it out to be a terrible place?
Madmax…we are all out of water in a world filled with violence. Terminator…our technology has turned on us and is trying to annihilate us. Even Disney got in on the doom and gloom with Wall-E…we have become an obese society living in outer space on a cruise ship because our planet is destroyed.
The Problem with Spiritual Disciplines – Part 2
Moving Beyond a Checklist
After last week’s post, what do you do if you feel like you’re going through the motions spiritually? What do you do when you’ve been guilted into more tasks to win an approval you already have?
The answer isn’t more commitment or will-power, but changing the way you think about all of it (Romans 12:2).
The Dark Side of Spiritual Disciplines
Part 1
How does a Christian develop a growing relationship with God?
Most messages and books encourage the faithful Christian to read their Bible, pray, serve, give, attend… and a long list of other things so that they will grow in their faith.
God’s Tattoo
What To Do When You Feel Forgotten By God
Have you ever forgotten something important that created an uncomfortable moment?
I feel like a terrible father when I go to the pharmacy to pick up medicine for one of my children and they ask me for the date of birth. I feel like it’s the final question on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and all of America is watching.
What’s Your Verse?
Ever have a verse just define a season of your life? Have you ever read the Bible and had a verse just smack you so hard that you felt like it was written just for you? It was your verse. God had to have been thinking about you when He had it written down because it was so specific to your current situation.
You put the verse on an index card or a sticky note and placed it on your fridge or your bathroom mirror to remind you of that truth every day.
Funerals Are Better Than Weddings
As a pastor one of my responsibilities is to conduct funerals from time to time. I’m often asked if I dread doing funerals. My response is always the same…I’d rather do a funeral than a wedding.
They typically look at me with the same look you made when you read the title of this post.
7 Ways To Love Your Pastor Better
None of my pastor friends would dare write a post like this because it would sound too self-serving. I get it. I’m posting this against my wife’s better judgment (but with her permission). What I’m about to share with you, if you ask your pastor, I guarantee they would say it is true for them. How do I know? Because the greatest pastors I know have said so in moments of quiet vulnerability. They weren’t complaining, just wishing and hoping they would be loved as much as they love their church.
I feel SO loved at my church…that’s why I feel confident to post something like this. But I know lots of pastors who don’t feel that way. So if you really do love your pastor here are 7 things you can do to show it:
There Is Something About That Name
How did you get your name? Did your parents pick your name based on its meaning? Or because it was a trendy name? Or maybe because it was classic? Maybe they named you after a family member or someone who impacted their life.
I was named after my father. Believe it or not I’m a junior…really I’m a second (II) because my parents were afraid I would be called “Junior” my whole life.
