A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Uganda and help lead a camp for students in high school. This trip began like any normal trip. We go on a few long plane r... read more
“. . . A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant t... read more
Imagine the weight Judas must have felt. The weight of the world was undoubtedly upon his shoulders because he knew he’d made a tremendous mistake. I think C. S. Lewis articul... read more
Our verse today will forever be a verse that provides me immense comfort and hope. I was in my third year at Campbellsville University getting a degree in pastoral ministry when I ... read more
I told a friend a couple of weeks ago that I liked her sweater, and she responded with, “Thanks! I recently bought it at Target!” I jokingly told her I might need to go... read more
In the classic Children’s novel, Charlotte’s Web, Wilbur the pig escapes his pen to find a taste of freedom. His barnyard buddies cheer him on and coach him on how to d... read more
Even if you’ve never been in an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting before, you’ve probably seen in movies the familiar opening line of, “Hi I’m _______ and I... read more
I had a friend once tell me that she had an addictive personality. I’m not sure if she told me this as an excuse for some of her behavior or if she was just being raw and hon... read more
My husband’s favorite ice cream shop is Coldstone Creamery. His favorite ice cream there is the “Cookie Doughn’t You Want Some” with vanilla ice cream, choc... read more
We have peace with God because of what Jesus did for us. If you believe in Jesus, that’s your birthright. It’s the truth, it’s the reality in your world right now... read more
It’s true: He will keep in perfect peace all who trust in Him. In other words, trusting in the Lord leads to peace. Every time. A common prayer for me in recent years has bee... read more
When God is working in someone’s heart to shape them more and more into His image, one result we’ll see often is that the person becomes a person of peace. They’r... read more
Peacemakers truly are blessed people, aren't they? Those who bring peace into the places they live, work, study… they are just refreshing to be with. Because peace is o... read more
Have you ever noticed the number of times in the Bible that people interact with God Himself, their Creator, the Almighty. . . and don’t realize it at first? Sometimes not even... read more
I’m glad for Psalm 34:18, aren’t you? I mean, if it’s not true, we may as well all line up for the high windows. I’ve discovered it to be true; how about yo... read more
There’s a divine mystery to suffering that we must discover on our own… a mystery that enables us to both endure and smile at it. It feels odd to include “smile&... read more
Have you ever prayed for, then received a miracle? I have, many times. Often they’re “small” miracles; other times, they’re huge. Some involve physical heal... read more
Yesterday, I pointed out that having deep faith in God doesn’t guarantee a pain-free life. For every “health, wealth, and happiness” verse people quote, I can thi... read more
Years ago, I heard about a guy named Kurt who ran into one difficulty after another. On the way to work one morning, a garbage truck slammed into his car. A week later, he lost $20... read more
I’m a word geek. I’m probably a geek in other ways as well. I can quote lines from movies like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, and I read the books, all 1,178 pages of... read more
Maybe you’re like me. When something’s on my mind, no amount of melatonin is going to bring sleep. I toss and turn, sigh and stew… all night long. My response to... read more
YHWH-Yireh (The Lord Will Provide) appears early in Scripture. In a powerful moment, Abraham is once again asked to go somewhere. We first met Abraham as God asked him to gather up... read more
David, it seems, never forgot the kindness of his friend, Jonathan. Years after Jonathan risked life and limb to protect him from Saul’s schemes, the tables have turned. Davi... read more
Might as well get the bawlin’ mess part out of the way right off the bat. On the day of my sweet Little Mama’s funeral, Mary Helen Garrett pulled me aside and wrapped m... read more
My favorite book of all time is Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. I’ll try not to give away too many spoilers, becau... read more
Consider this question for a minute: How different would your life look if you fully embraced God’s almighty power?
Hold that thought for a minute as we turn a corner. ... read more
I remember when I started my first job at the age of 14. I worked as a busboy at a restaurant, and saved all of my earnings to purchase a brand new pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses... read more
A study was conducted recently which focused on people’s perception of their lives. Data was collected through telephone interviews from a random sample of 1,002 adults. Resu... read more
When we think of God’s power, we often consider His power to create the universe, sustain life, reign eternally, etc. It’s natural to associate His power with enormous ... read more
The book of Daniel gives us a, frankly, absurd illustration of God’s power at work in a fairly normal believer who simply refuses to sacrifice his faith for what is popular. ... read more
Are there any people in your life that are either impossible to schedule anything with, or that are just ridiculously schedule oriented? I overheard a conversation the other day wh... read more
Have you ever had someone in your life that you could count on indefinitely? No matter the chore, fear, trouble, or task this person is your go-to? For me it’s my mom and dad... read more
Have you ever had a spiritual breakthrough in an area of your life due to the way a song helped you reevaluate what you’d been doing? For me I feel like the lessons I’v... read more
Recently there have been numerous instances in the news where people believed their reputation preceded them and that their name should carry weight. The embarrassing moment was wh... read more
What does it take for you to get thrown off your game or discouraged? (I forgot my coffee this morning, so I wasn’t off to a great start myself. ) Would a flat tire on the way... read more
Often while my husband and I are out on our early morning walks, we pass neighbors walking their dogs. Recently we witnessed a lady holding her phone in one hand as a flashlight, t... read more
There was a season when I spent every Sunday afternoon in the women’s wing of the local county jail during visiting hours. There wasn’t much positive to see, even in th... read more
When my daughter was younger she loved playing soccer. She was a good player but she was timid. Once, I even saw a player on her own team steal the ball from her! Over the 13 years... read more
When people end relationships, they sometimes use phrases like, “I just can’t make you happy”, “I’m not happy anymore”, or “I just want yo... read more
As Jon shared on Sunday, 1998 was a special season for a special pitcher named Orel Hershiser. He was not a big fella, but his big heart earned him the nickname The Bulldog. Among ... read more
In The Extra Mile series we are in right now, we’re putting the spotlight on some godly attributes that make us people who go above and beyond—hence the name, The Extra... read more
Jesus didn’t ask the question above because He doubted His power to heal. It was rhetorical. Those overhearing this were indirectly directed to take note. Another detail to n... read more
As a parent, I can tell you that some of the very best moments of parenting are when your kids express real gratitude. Maybe you got them what they had been asking for f-o-r-e-v-e-... read more
Health and medicine are front and center today. They have been for the better part of a year and a half. The Bible story we are reading this week puts the spotlight on an account w... read more
I can think of no better way to end this week than the words of Hebrews 12:1–3.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw of... read more
Max discovered the importance of perseverance in a half-Ironman triathlon. After the 1. 2 mile swim and the 56 mile bike ride, he didn't have much energy left for the 13. 1 mile... read more
There’s a quote from the great Albert Einstein that brings me some comfort. “I myself have no special talent; curiosity, obsession, and dogged endurance have brought me... read more
It's easy to analyze, scrutinize, and talk about the problems in the world, but we need people who will do something about them. The book of Nehemiah shows what happens when s... read more
Last week, we focused on discipline over apathy. This week, we’re talking about discipline’s trusty sidekick: Perseverance. They are basically inseparable. Like any goo... read more
We began a teaching series on Sunday about going the extra mile to live excellent lives. Jon Weece reminded us about Daniel’s full devotion to God. Daniel had the discipline ... read more
