Articles
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...
Going It Alone
Henri Nouwen writes, “Pain suffered alone feels very different from pain suffered alongside another. Even when the pain stays, we know how great the difference if another draws close, if another shares with us in it. This kind of comfort comes most fully and...
Finding Our Way Home
There are two things that really stress me out. Getting lost and asking for directions. Perhaps that is why I am such a fan of GPS technology. Outside of the wheel, my vote for the greatest human invention is the Global Positioning System. Whether I find myself in a...
4 Remarkable Truths in the Story of a Poor Widow Who Gave All
Part 2 Click here to read part 1. Jesus knew this poor widow had no property and no close family to take care of her. Therefore, since it was something He did often, I believe Jesus motioned for one of His disciples to follow after her and quietly give her a handful...
“Tell Me More”
In her historical narrative on Joseph, Jacob’s deserted son, American writer Madeleine L’Engle carefully unpacked the customs and culture around this crucial figure in Jewish history. She did this for a specific reason: We need to consider the full contours of a story...
4 Remarkable Truths in the Story of a Poor Widow Who Gave All
How often do widows come up in the Gospels? Surprisingly, a lot! The most famous widow’s story is found at the end of Mark 12. At first, what Jesus appears to do (and not do) causes many readers to wince. Even worse? 1. Religious leaders may have cheated this...
