I remember when Lydia and I were planning on getting married, and friends and family members were going to throw a bridal shower for Lydia. I had not gone to any bridal showers that I was aware of, and I was kind of indignant that I was being left out. I said, "Hey, why am I not invited? I'm getting married too. This shouldn't be a bridal shower. This should be a wedding shower, and it should be b...  Read More

I like what Charles Spurgeon once said, "When we get to heaven, over the gates it will say ‘whosoever will may come,' and upon entering, we will see inscribed on the backside, 'elect before the foundation of the world'." There is a mystery to our salvation - we have been chosen by God, and then we have said "yes" to Him, but our salvation was initiated by Jesus Christ and God the Father pursuing us into a relationship with Himself. This should bring comfort. You belong in His family. Your salvation is not based on you, it is based on God.  Read More

There may be times of tension or conflict, but we should value those relationships. It's important to not give up on our relationships with others, especially as Christians. Instead of walking away from them, we should make an effort to build and keep those relationships intact. Acts 15:36-41 describes a time of conflict between Paul and Barnabas. Even these great men of God experienced conflict and tension, and we can learn from their example.  Read More

During the Superbowl a week and a half ago, advertisers spent $7 million dollars to place their 30-second ad in front of the viewers. There was one ad campaign that has generated some talk called “He Gets Us.” They spent $14 million dollars on a 1-minute ad during the Superbowl with a punchline that said, “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet.” It was met with mixed reviews. Many evangelical Ch...  Read More

We really resent the idea when someone says, “Do as I say, but not as I do.” Our walk should match our talk. I’ve come to conclude that our beliefs and doctrines are what we say we believe. But our actions are proving what we actually believe. Our doctrines may be what we say we believe, but our actions reveal what we truly believe. Galatians 2 tells the story of when Paul had to confront Peter be...  Read More

I read about a well-known evangelist who passed away this week. Junior Hill passed away at the age of 87, after more than 68 years in ministry. Wow! As I looked at the outpouring of love and appreciation for his ministry, two words kept coming up: evangelist and encourager. His ministry of evangelism was most prominent. He would share the simple gospel of Jesus Christ, and then God would bless wit...  Read More

Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. The word “therefore” harkens back to what Paul has previously said in chapters 1-11. He has described what Jesus did on the Cross by paying for the sins of humanity. The first 3 chapters explain how lost every person is ...  Read More

Baptist Press recently shared statistics about the power of mentors in the lives of young people. If a young person does not have a mentor, only 50% of them say life has meaning. 70% of young people say life has meaning who report at least one mentor. 86% of young people say life has meaning who report two to four mentors. This article was highlighting the importance of mentoring Generation Z (tho...  Read More

Lydia and I once had the opportunity to visit Yerevan, Armenia. While we were there, we visited a monastery named “Khor Virap” (which means “deep dungeon”), which is located on the border with Turkey overlooking Mount Ararat. The site is so beautiful that you can see the two mountains when the sky is clear. It's an incredible view from that position. Merchants in Yerevan, which is close to the loc...  Read More

Living in a democratic republic as a Christian American has a unique set of challenges. At times, we are misunderstood by Christians living in other countries, whose form of government is more of a dictatorship. Christians in these kinds of countries quote Romans 13:1, which says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.” We are told to be more submissive as faithful Christians. Ho...  Read More

Alan Stein is a performance coach who has worked with world-class athletes. He once crossed paths with 5-time champion and NBA great Kobe Bryant at a basketball camp. Stein asked Bryant if he could watch him train, and Bryant told him to show up the next day at 4:00 a.m.! When Alan showed up early the next day, Kobe was already in a full sweat. Kobe was working through many of the same exercises t...  Read More

In his book The Law of Happiness, best-selling author and Christian psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud helps explain some of the traits found in people who live happy lives. We naturally think that we live happy or unhappy lives because of our circumstances. However, according to his research, that only accounts for 10% of our happiness. 50% is based on our natural wiring (our biological makeup). A full...  Read More