Dear Lindsey, I recently started going to church regularly and now consider myself a Christian. I keep hearing how important it is to tell others about Jesus, but I’m wondering if I can do that in a world that seems so hostile toward Christianity? —Afraid to Come Out Dear Afraid, The fact that you even […]
THE IMPERFECT PASTOR
Responding to failure with forgiveness
A few years ago, I was apart of a large multi-campus church that was very well connected and whose pastor was often in the public spotlight. When rumors began surfacing about potential scandals, almost every Christian news outlet and magazine went hunting for skeletons. They unearthed a number of things that were seen as unethical, […]
KEEP THE FAITH
The continuous cycle of looking at God and his work in our lives
Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” In our everyday lives, we use “faith” to refer to any belief system and say “I have faith in you” when we believe someone is able to do something. When something bad happens in our lives, […]
GOD & POLITICS
Our modern-day oil & vinegar?
The presidential race was nothing short of a disaster, not because of who won, but because I’ve never seen politics like this in my lifetime. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both brought out the worst of anything they could dig up on the other. It was rarely, if at all, about policy or demeanor. There […]
ADVENT: A SEASON OF WAITING & WONDERING
How observing Advent prepares us to truly celebrate Christmas
Christmas is a season of many things, depending on whom you ask. A season of joy, of peace, of love. A season of family, reunions, rekindling relationships. A season of gifts, surprises, twinkling lights, and glittering trees. A season of busyness, financial strain, stress, even loneliness. To many Christians, Christmas is considered a season of […]
CONFRONTING DR. JEKYLL
Sometimes you have to lose everything to see everything
I squandered the life I cherished by courting Mrs. Hyde. But what I had to gain was my life. “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit […]
SACRIFICIAL LOVE
Jesus shows us how to love
Sacrificial love in any relationship, be it with a parent, sibling, spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, or or friend means loving the other person with good intentions, good actions, and with no regards to yourself. Sacrificial love can be restricted or restrained by what you are willing to sacrifice in that relationship. Being afraid to love certainly affects […]
ON CHRISTIAN “HYPOCRISY”
Counterfeit character and the church
I once paid for gas with a counterfeit bill. At the time, I had no idea it was counterfeit. I thought the $20 I pulled from my purse was valid, perfectly real. Paying for gas with it was supposed to be a routine transaction. Only when the cashier used a bill detector and told me […]
THE PRAYER WALK
How prayer walking can boost your spiritual health
Have you ever heard of a prayer walk? Or have you ever heard someone talk about going on a prayer walk, but had no idea what that was? You are not alone. Many Christians don’t know what a prayer walk is, and it sounds so simple that it’s hard to ask for an explanation. Insecurities […]
IF GOD IS ALL I NEED, WHY DO I FEEL SO LOUSY?
Exploring the emotional and spiritual benefits of counseling
Ten years is a long time to carry a heavy heart, but I did. And I know I am not alone. Each year, 19 million Americans and 121 million people, worldwide, struggle with some form of depression. For a few, it may be so constant they accept it as normal or part of their personality, […]
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