I will admit that some smaller churches are so far down the life-cycle and so dysfunctional that they are unlikely to ever turn around, but I also know that there are many smaller churches that are just praying that someone will come to lead them who believes in them. When such a person accepts the... Continue Reading

“Don’t focus on the value your work offers you,” Newport says. “That’s the passion mindset. Instead focus on the value you produce through your work: how your actions are important, how you’re good at what you do, and how you’re connected to other people.” When you do, the passion will follow–and if you work hard... Continue Reading

It is normal—indeed universal—for human beings to be sinners, but few among us are sociopaths. And for that we must be ever thankful. Christians must thank God for the restraint against evil that he has given humanity. These restraints include the moral law, the human conscience, government, social structures, and the providence of God in... Continue Reading

Contemporary worship leader, please know that I’ll benefit from some of your songs and won’t complain to any member of the church. But, please know that it’s not easy for me. I know I’ll never be able to play in the worship band again. And, no matter what you say, in my heart I know... Continue Reading

Minutes before my wife’s mastectomy, the surgeon called me into the prep area with unbelievable news: A routine blood test had revealed that Carol was pregnant with our third child. Experts from around the country advised us to terminate the pregnancy to give my wife the best chance for survival. We politely declined their advice,... Continue Reading

So, once we get over all the emotion, hand-wringing, and fear of bigotry, the question is merely this:  Does human reproduction serve the public good? By the government’s own calculations, it cost my wife and I $225,000 to rear each of our two daughters until they were 21, nearly half a million dollars total. The... Continue Reading

For the record, I do recall the brother’s keeper reference. It’s in Genesis Four, which recounts the first murder based on human jealously. In fact, it’s right after Genesis Three, which accurately portrays human nature and explains why utopia can’t work. If two people can’t follow one rule in order to sustain paradise, then we’re... Continue Reading

Net profits…from the cards go to the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Every time a card is purchased through October Wednesday, at least half the purchase price will go directly to donation. Presently the cards are priced at 3.00 each with free shipping included, and 1.50 of that will go directly to... Continue Reading

 The struggles we sometimes experience in prayer, then, are often part of the process by which God gradually brings us to ask for only what He has promised to give. The struggle is not our wrestling to bring Him to give us what we desire, but our wrestling with His Word until we are illuminated... Continue Reading

If you’re going to stay sane, thankful, motivated, and hopeful, you must live with your final destination in view. Only here will you be protected by the right values, balanced by proper expectations, and motivated by sturdy hope. Consider seven effects that functional eternity amnesia can have on your everyday life:… Life is a struggle.... Continue Reading