Articles
Bible Study Around the World
For those of us who live in the United States and read and speak English, we have an amazing quality and quantity of Bible resources at our fingertips. That unfortunately is not the case for our sisters and brothers around the world whose primary language is not...
5 Ways to Help Your Teen Develop Good Bible Study Habits
Building habits takes time. Sometimes, these habits are easy to establish, like brushing our teeth. We understand the importance of it—keeping our mouth healthy—and we recognize the consequences to not doing it—bad breath and, eventually, losing our teeth. Some...
Prevent Burn Out by Managing Your Stress
Stress. We live with it every day, and ministry is no exception. I love the commercial a couple of years back where a very stressed young man at the grocery store check out is being asked “paper or plastic?” He has this blank stare on his face as his mind whirls with...
Why Walking with Grief Is So Hard
In 1969, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross identified what is now popularly known as the “five stages of grief”—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance—as she studied and interacted with individuals who had received a terminal illness diagnosis. Because of the...
The Power of the Dark Side
How did you feel the first time you saw Darth Vader on the screen? Probably exactly how Lucas wanted you to feel. This guy is evil. But Darth Vader didn’t start out that way. He started out as Anakin Skywalker, hero of the prequel trilogy. His fall from grace in...
Monday through Saturday
At a conference for church leaders where I was invited to teach, I was captivated by a message delivered at that same event by Pastor Ben Cachiaras from Mountain Christian Church in Baltimore. Ben said that serving is the new apologetic. In my years sitting at...
Making Things Right When You Mess Up
“Good relationships are four parts liking each other and seven parts forgiveness.” Quote by Jennifer Thomas Gary Chapman’s bestselling book, The 5 Love Languages has become a classic. To have blissful relationships, showing love is a must. To have happy friends and...
A Prayer for Church Leaders
“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them— not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve.” 1 PETER 5 :2 Recite God's Goodness You, Jesus, are the head of Your...
How to Speak with an Atheist about Christianity
“Speaking with an Atheist about Christianity” is what Robert, a pastor in France, did with me 15 years ago. I affirmed there was no God, and I despised religion. Several months later, I was a believer. Several years after that, I was a Christian philosopher. Looking...
She screamed, “Where’s my child!? Where’s my daughter!?
Standing outside the train station right at the border of Poland and Ukraine, our leadership team decided to gather for prayer. As we united to pray, I heard a panic scream, so loud, that it emanated through the stream of Ukrainian refugees rushing past us. Quickly...
Serving the Widow: Helpful Tips for the Local Church
The Widow—A Compassion Initiative—is a biblical template for how the local church can care for the widow in their sadness and loss. It is often the case that ministries are led most effectively by those who have a heart for a particular type of suffering. Whether...
Technology is God’s Gift to Mankind to Push Back the Curse
A farmer knows more than anyone that technology is God’s gift to push back the curse. Remember the curse God pronounced on Adam, which cursed agriculture and every farmer who would be born thereafter: To Adam [God] said, “Because you have listened to the voice of...
Five Ways to Have a More Peaceful Home
“Why are you doing that? Stop! Stop! STOP!” I was out of control. I screamed so loud my throat hurt. He was just being two. My son had gotten out all the cereal boxes and dumped them out onto the floor. When I started yelling for him to stop, he began stuffing all the...
The Facts About Healthy Relationships
Saturday, my teen groused around the house. When my efforts to cheer her didn’t work, certainly that indicated she would rather spend Saturday with anyone but me. Feeling rejected, I felt tempted to give the silent treatment or unload my hurt with a barbed jab. “When...
SCOTUS LEAK
It was the summer of 2007. I had just completed a 40-day fast. When I started the fast, my goal was to get to know the Lord on a deeper level, hope to get a better hold of my flesh, and maybe even experience something supernatural. When I look back, it was quite...
Four Truths About Envy
I’m eating lunch with my new neighbor, Rosa. As I sit in her apartment eating chicken-tinga tostadas, she shares her story. Five years ago, she left two daughters behind and traveled to a new country—my country—with the hope of earning enough money to care for their...
Approaching the Almighty with Confidence
When we pray, we can approach God with confidence, for our faith rests upon His character, not upon promises. Promises are as good as the character of the one who made the promise. So when I read my Bible, I have a promise. This is the confidence we have in Him. If...
Three Reasons Why Believers Doubt the Security of Their Salvation
The simple answer is that we let our faulty human perspectives cloud our clear understanding of Scripture. We sometimes doubt the security of salvation because of our experiences with others. I’m sure everyone knows a person who seemed to have a vital walk with the...
What Insurance Coverage Should You Have for Your Church?
When you think of a church, it’s much more than just a physical building. A church can mean a lot to a community and parishioners who count on it as a place of worship and fellowship. So, you have to do what you can to make sure your church stays protected, and that...
Learning How to Apologize to Yourself
Apologizing to oneself requires self-talk. Perhaps you have heard someone say, “Talking to yourself is a sign of mental illness.” Wrong! Mentally healthy people always talk to themselves – encouraging themselves, advising themselves, questioning themselves. Some of...
