Many people make New Year’s resolutions on January 1. But if you’re a parent, you likely think of the year according to the school calendar, which means your family is about to rollover into 2017–2018. New seasons provide great opportunities to establish new routines—like packing healthy lunches, dividing… Read More
Happy Independence Day! From the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the Civil Rights movement to today, God’s Word has inspired American heroes and ordinary citizens to pursue liberty and justice for all people. As you celebrate the spirit of liberty that gave birth to our… Read More
Many times in our lives, we want to skip straight to Easter Sunday. The account of the resurrection is uplifting, life-giving, hopeful. But there are other days in the week, not just Sundays. In fact, six days a week we live waiting for Sunday to come. So let’s… Read More
Chances are, you’ll use those great go-to Bible verses for your Easter services. Mary Magdalene mistaking Jesus for a gardener. Peter and John racing to the empty tomb. The strange encounter on the road to Emmaus. Perhaps even Thomas’s displays of doubt and faith. These are powerful accounts of… Read More
When people start reading the Bible, they sometimes assume all the characters they meet there (or at least the good ones) are exemplary. Well, they are, but what kind of examples do they set for us? Even the most faithful figures in Scripture slip up. Perhaps in your ministry,… Read More
I’ve had trouble getting this article finished because I’ve been incredibly busy. With a church of 700, and as its only pastor to adults, I don’t have a lot of extra time. You know what I’m talking about. The life of a pastor is full of stuff to do—good stuff,… Read More
The end of a year is a great time to review what you’ve done. It’s also a chance for evaluation and recommitment. Sometimes a look back can remind you of who you are. That’s true for individual lives, for families, for churches, and even for blogs. We have worked to… Read More
Our Christmas celebrations are full of stories. Families will gather to watch It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street. You will probably hear “Twas the Night Before Christmas” at some point, and you may even repeat elements of the Santa story—reindeer, chimneys, a sleigh full of toys. And… Read More
No bathrobes. That had to be a basic principle of church drama, my pastor and I agreed. We had both seen too many bad Christian plays, preachy pageants, and silly skits. As we planned the dramatic offerings of our newly planted church, we wanted none of that. This was about… Read More
Given the culture’s preoccupation with staying connected electronically to our various worlds, it is no wonder that fatigue has become a real issue in our lives. Sabbath rest has been an increasingly elusive opportunity as the work flow has intruded into our homes. We go through email at all hours,… Read More
