Quick…think of something you can do that won’t “offend” somebody! Having trouble? No matter what you do, it seems like there is someone who takes “offense” to your actions -or do they? Perhaps our culture’s tendency to “look out for #1” has caused us to stretch the meaning of the word “offend.” The dictionary describes …
Category Archives: Christian Living
Be Careful How You Console
I experienced the greatest pain of my life in the loss of my wife. I have mourned and I have grieved. At times, I continue to mourn and grieve. Loss is not something you “get over.” Instead, you must learn to live with it. Of course, the most intense time of struggle occurs in the weeks …
Does God Want You To Take A Nap?
There are two things I do every day –no matter what: Wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night. It’s a simple pattern common to just about everyone. So simple that we hardly think about it. For some reason this morning I had a strange thought: sleep is a major form of …
Don’t Be Dupid
I kept hearing the same tune over and over again. It wasn’t stuck in my head. No, it was stuck in my back yard. My son Bryce was playing and reciting some juvenile schoolyard chant. I listened closely to catch what he was saying. “Boys go to college to get more knowledge, girls go to …
No More Business As Usual
Talking about the objective truth of Scripture is comfortable for me. I love a good discussion about how Jesus became the sacrifice for my sin or how my life should reflect the gospel. But I have difficulty when the topic turns from objective truth to subjective experience. I tend to shy away from discussions about …
Can You Reclaim Purity?
I’ve heard of brides who refuse to wear a white dress to their wedding because of events in their past. They feel unworthy and tainted. I imagine we all understand that feeling to some extent. After all, God often refers to his people as a “bride.” What a strong word picture. “Bride” implies that God …
He Speaks Our Language Too
It was a missionary legend I had heard growing up. You know the kind, right? Every time you hear the story, it changes depending on who is telling it. After a while, you know it really happened, but you’re just not sure how it happened. I knew that Missionary David Dickson had been involved in …
Missing on Mothers Day
I speak about Jill in many of my sermons. Partly because she was an incredible disciple-maker, partly because she was the love of my life, partly because her story has been able to help others struggling with loss, and partly because I want to honor her. Recently, I was sitting among worshippers, waiting for my …
5 Character Traits of Growing Churches (Excerpt)
Here is an excerpt from my new free e-booklet, Five Character Traits of Growing Churches: “He sure is growing up.” That’s a common phrase around my household. I swell up with a sense of pride as neighbors, friends and family notice my son’s growth. Bryce is six now and it is hard to keep up with …
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More Rules?
My son is going to daycare this week for the first time in his life. He absolutely loves it. In fact, he’s been telling me about the rules he has learned (no hitting, screaming, yelling, etc). Most of the rules at daycare are similar to our family rules. But a few are different. For instance …