Sixty bucks. According to statista.com, that was roughly the grocery bill for your Thanksgiving dinner last year, at least if you had ten people around your table.1 While sixty dollars may seem like quite a bit to spend on a single meal, you’d have a pretty tough time eating at any restaurant—even the Golden Arches—for … Continue reading The Cost of Thanksgiving
Help! I’m Supposed to Lead a Small-Group Discussion!
Small groups Bible and book studies have become a vital component of many thriving churches. The more informal and intimate atmosphere fosters transparency and allows mentoring relationships to grow and flourish. I’m sure no two of these groups—even within the same church—are identical in their operation, yet no doubt their similarities far outweigh their differences. … Continue reading Help! I’m Supposed to Lead a Small-Group Discussion!
From Limelight to Shadows: Growing in Humility
A little different. Strange. Eccentric. A bit off. Straight-up weird. No matter how you put it, John the Baptist was not your average guy. He dressed funny, had a strange diet, and played a unique role in prophetic history. Despite his unorthodox appearance, John had a significant following as he prepared people for the coming … Continue reading From Limelight to Shadows: Growing in Humility
The Beautiful Truth About Genuine Comfort
Whipped to the full extent of the law. Beaten with a rod. Stoned. Shipwrecked. In constant danger. Hungry. Thirsty. Deprived of sleep. The Apostle Paul knew about suffering. And his afflictions didn’t even end with this list. Eventually he would be beheaded at the hands of Roman Emperor Nero. Nearly every city he visited ran … Continue reading The Beautiful Truth About Genuine Comfort
The Trouble with Competitiveness
I’d rather not write this article. Anyone who knows me knows that competitiveness lodges deep within my bones. I want to come out on top whether playing tic-tac-toe, four-square, taking a test, or parenting my kids. I size up the competition and track the most likely path to victory. Of course, I don’t always win. … Continue reading The Trouble with Competitiveness
Truths to Anchor Your Heart Before, During, and After the Election
Election seasons are like a roller coaster. As the poll numbers fluctuate up and down, so too do your emotions. Yesterday you were confident; today you’re feeling anxious. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Corkscrews, loop-the-loops, and precipitous drops—all perfect descriptions of your emotions throughout this season. Election seasons are like a wildfire: unpredictable, consuming … Continue reading Truths to Anchor Your Heart Before, During, and After the Election
Revive My Heart Every Morning
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!Morning by morning new mercies I see;all I have needed Thy hand hath provided:great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! “Morning by morning new mercies I see”? Really? You must be kidding! Maybe some days that’s true, but most of the time, the morning seems anything but merciful. … Continue reading Revive My Heart Every Morning
When I Just Keep Sinning
Failure. Again. I prayed about it, asked for help. And still, just a few hours later…failure. It’s humbling, frustrating, and discouraging. My heart resonates with Paul’s exclamation in Romans 7:15: For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate. … Continue reading When I Just Keep Sinning
The Toughest Test of Endurance
Imagine going for a two-and-a-half mile swim and then biking over one hundred miles and then running a full marathon. Though just picturing such a feat of endurance makes me want to take a nap, Ironman triathletes actually do all of this in one day—and apparently enjoy it! Maybe you watched the Paris Olympics and … Continue reading The Toughest Test of Endurance
The Trap of Iron-Fisted Idolatry
“With a mischievous little smile on his face [Grandpa] said, ‘You wouldn’t think a fellow could catch a coon with this brace and bit, would you?’ I thought he was kidding me, and it made me feel bad. ‘Why, Grandpa,’ I said, ‘you couldn’t catch a coon in a jillion years with that thing. You … Continue reading The Trap of Iron-Fisted Idolatry
Bible Study Nerd 