Christian Life
How to Improve Self Image through Awe of God
Do you remember the first time you rode a roller coaster, saw the mountains, kissed another person, ate the best burger, held your child? There is an AWE in first experiences. They sweep you away with emotion and you swear your life will never be the same. I want you to imagine for a moment feeling that same kind...
How to Change Your Perspective on Life
I was recently rereading the Christmas story as told by the Gospel of John. He is the only Gospel writer that seems to leave out the whole Bethlehem story, or any account of lineage or Mary and Joseph out. Yet he boldly states the "Light came into the world." This is the best summary statement of the Christmas story. THE...
Evaluating the Question “What Salary Should I Expect?”
When evaluating the question "what salary should I expect?" for any given job, it is helpful to consider what "pay" means and how you should respond. Pay is more than a compensation for time, talent or effort. It is a valuation of a person’s contribution to the greater cause. A person is paid by an organization to keep them doing what they...
The Ultimate Cure: Fighting Anxiety with Fear
The Pervasive Problem with Anxiety Sarah Fader, a thirty-seven-year-old social media consultant in Brooklyn, made it clear that anxiety is no long a problem for some but a generalized disorder for all. She texted her friend about coming to visit, but when she didn’t write back quickly, Sarah started to get uneasy. Sarah posted on Twitter to her sixteen thousand-plus...
The Gospel of John’s 3 Part Plan with 1 Main Aim
I have preached through the Gospel of John 1 and 1/2 times. If God doesn’t take me home first, I will preach through the Gospel of John two times by the end of next year. Each time has been entirely different than the other. I study afresh every passage for the week I will preach it, as if I...
God Does Not Change: 3 Responses in Light of an Unchanging God
Everything Changes Everything around us changes, think about it: seasons change, weather changes, jobs change, people change, heroes change, our leaders changes. Simply, everything changes. To be honest with you, I am kind of a "Change" junkie. I like to move around the furniture, find new ways to tweak my everyday norm, or even find ways to visit new places all...
Where Do You Find True Security?
What Message do You Preach to Yourself? Every single day, we preach a message to ourselves. Think about it. You have a little voice in your head that tells you a gospel every single day. Now, it may not be The Gospel. It might not be the truth about Jesus Christ, but it's some kind of truth-telling you who you...
How to Avoid Being too Busy [video]
I try really hard to not say "I am busy" when people ask me how I am. I may say, "life is full" but I don't want to be known as a person who is always being too busy. Busyness is not a great way to be known. The Christian life is marked by doing and obeying, but it also...
What Did Jesus Mean in John 8:7, “If you are without sin throw the first stone”?
What did Jesus mean in John 8:7? Sermon Summary: It is easy to point out everyone else’s sin and forget that we have our own glaring weaknesses. God’s grace is sufficient for us, no matter what we have done. In the beginning of John 8 we see the character of Christ toward sinners who break the commands of God and the...
4 Surprising Things I Learned from My Online Hiatus
All good things must come to an end… or at least a pause. In May 2017 my wife and I made a conscious decision to change many things in our life—including our engagement on social media, and to take an online hiatus. Both of us had it as a mainstay in our life (as most people do) and spent more...
Am I Overprotecting My Son?
It was one of those moments when I thought I might have crossed the line from “Responsible father” to “What was I thinking?” It was Chandler’s first day skiing the real slopes. No more bunny hill. No more magic carpet. It was time for the real thing. Not only was it Chandler’s first day, but it was mine as well....
What is Christmas All About? [Online video service]
We recorded this video to be watched on December 25th, or anytime Christmas week. We hope you will enjoy joining us for this special service! Message Notes: Christmas Morning Joy I bet that if each of us shared a memorable Christmas morning of our childhood, most of us would mention a toy we received. We’d ooze with the joy that came...