The last essential for healthy relationships is a three-step process that will help you avoid relational disasters. Most broken hearts come from trusting people that later turn out to be untrustworthy. We have invested so much of our selves at that point, that ending the relationship is incredibly painful. Many people try to prolong the […]
I grew up in a small town in the mountains of western North Carolina. Every home town has its own unique set of rules. In my town (and the south in general), we were taught to say, “I’m sorry”. If we had done something wrong, or if anyone thought we had done something wrong, we […]
In his 1858 U.S. Senate campaign Abraham Lincoln quoted Jesus in a speech by saying that, “a house divided against itself cannot stand”. That statement is as profound as it is simple. It was as true for America during that time as it was when Jesus spoke those words to religious leaders almost 2000 years […]
One of the most frustrating things about being a pastor are those moments when you teach about things that you struggle with the most. I actually believe that our most powerful teachings come from our most honest struggles, but it’s still no fun. I experienced this last week, when a small group gathered and we […]
Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing. Andrew Peterson is a singer, songwriter with an unusual voice, and deep, thought-provoking lyrics. In “The Silence of God” Peterson sings, “if a man is forced to listen to the voices of the mob, who are reeling in the throes of all the happiness they’ve got”. In our world, […]
The Jewish leaders gathered around the site of the execution. If there was ever a time to rethink or doubt their course of action this was it. Instead, they boasted with confidence, “he saved others, if he really is who he says he is, let him save himself”. This scene from the final moments of […]
I love it when autumn arrives each year. There are a thousand things I love about fall, the cool mornings, pumpkin flavored things, and of course, college football. It doesn’t matter who is playing. I just love the games. I love the bands on the field at halftime, and the great environment on campus on […]
Parenting isn’t easy. Ok, you already knew that, but it’s something that’s super easy to forget. If you aren’t careful you will look back and beat yourself up a bit for the mistakes you’ve made, rather than just addressing them and moving on. One of my biggest mistakes during my single Dad years involved hurrying. […]
I lost therefore I am a loser. I failed therefore I am a failure. Those statements seem to make sense don’t they? If you failed, doesn’t that make you a failure? The phrases may seem logical, but they can be incredibly destructive. Using your performance at a particular moment (I failed the test. I […]
Just this week, I read two very different tweets from two Christian leaders. The first intimated that the Bible justified actions the President was considering taking with regard to foreign policy. The other stated that the Bible supported his cry that the President should be impeached. It must be confusing to watch us Christians do […]