The season of Lent is coming to a close. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, which this year was Valentine’s Day, and concluding on Holy Saturday, Lent is a forty-day period, excluding Sundays, of confession, repentance, and fasting as we anticipate the glorious celebration of Easter, which falls on April 1. Many Christians give up things for […]
In Matthew 11, Jesus had just finished a pep talk and sent his twelve disciples out on their first mission when he received a visit from the disciples of John the Baptist. John the Baptist had been sidelined for speaking out against King Herod for stealing his brother Phillip’s wife. Now behind prison bars, John […]
Early Wednesday morning, Heaven’s doors opened wide to receive Billy Graham. I cannot think of one other person who lived in the last 100 years who had a more profound impact in both the propagation and authenticity of the Gospel. Billy Graham was changed by the Gospel. His humility, his love for others, and his […]
Every year I make sure I am either mentoring a student or leading a small group of students. I do that for a couple of reasons. I suspect that deep down I’m just an old campus minister who still gets excited to invest in a student and to watch what God does in their life. […]
You don’t have to look far to find a diet or exercise plan to help you take care of your body. People have a lot of different motivations to eat better and get more exercise, and whether you are trying to lose weight, live longer, or look younger, it takes both a cognitive and a […]
“Whatever the activity in which you engage, do it with all your ability.” -Ecclesiastes 9:10, NIV Not too long ago, I referred to myself as a flower planted in the crack of a driveway.—planted in a dysfunctional home environment with no fertilized soil for my roots to take hold and spread. There was no sunshine, […]
I am definitely a recovering perfectionist. In high school, I would stay up super late the night before any project was due to make sure everything on my tri-fold poster was just right. I had a “goody two-shoes” social life, as well. At school and even when I walked into church, I felt the pressure […]
I love running into burning buildings. The smell, the darkness, the heat, the battle. Apartments and high rises are my favorite. The bigger the building, the bigger the fire, the bigger the battle. It’s easy to do my best while on duty. In other areas of my life, it isn’t always as easy. You see, […]
This past year our youth ministry staff had to submit a yearly budget proposal. This was the first time our church asked the staff to request a budget for the year. I and my teammate began the process of collecting data from the past two years. We gathered stats that included attendance, commitments to Christ, baptisms, new […]
I never really thought of myself as a leader. I just did not have that bold, out-front, in-your-face personality that I associated with leadership. I was more of a laid-back, wait-on-instructions, and follow orders kind of guy. Then, I encountered 1 Timothy 4:12: Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but […]