The Christmas story has joy on one page and sorrow on the next… so we shouldn't be surprised if the story of our Christian life, even around Christmas, sometimes feels the same—especially since both are written by the same Author.

For over three decades, I have thought about the day I found my mother after my stepdad shot her in the head. There are many things I have forgotten since I was 10 years old, but that image of her in blood is seared into my brain—along with the image of her in a casket … Continue reading Loud Social Media vs. Quiet Church Classrooms →

I don’t want to be around someone that is up one minute, and the next time you see them they talk about how hard things are. I don’t want to hear from people that are up then down, stable then shaky, rejoicing then sorrowful. If it isn’t 100% praise and 100% positive, find someone else—I … Continue reading Sorrowful yet always Rejoicing →

Advertisement that was released 28 years ago today… I‘m not so conceited to think I’ll change much, much less the world—but I do have a burning desire and hope that at the end of my life I can look back and see I was able to make a little difference in a few lives in … Continue reading The Crazy Ones →

The “more experienced/aged” (or whatever term I’m looking for) Christians should do for the rising generation of Christians what Reggie Miller is doing on the sidelines in game 6 of the Finals, Pacers and Thunder. He isn’t jealous or arms crossed or “In my day we played the game differently.” He’s jumping up and down, … Continue reading Reggie Miller, a Pastoral Example →

The following list of items are advice that, if possible, I would go back in time and share with myself having now been in full-time ministry for over a decade. They are by no means the pinnacle of wisdom, and they may not be applicable for everyone in every situation. Also, they are in no … Continue reading Advice for New Ministers →

Christian, in 1 Corinthians 15:58, Paul tells us that our labor is not in vain. The reason it is not in vain is not because we have results we can point to, but it is because the resurrection of Jesus gives our work meaning. So if you look for results, find none, and it appears … Continue reading Resurrection > Results →

Between the last verse of Genesis 16 and the first verse of Genesis 17, it skips a time period of 13 years in the life of Abraham, one of the most important figures of the Old Testament. So Christian, don’t be too discouraged if there appear to be stretches of time in your life where … Continue reading When God Pauses →

Halfway through the book of Job, he says, “God is done with me, God must be angry with me, God no longer listens to me, and I guess God no longer cares about me.” Christians today reading the book of Job: “Oh no, Job. Just wait a little bit. Just keep going. You have no … Continue reading Halfway through Job and the End of Job →

Them: “If you don’t know the exact date of your spiritual birth then you’re probably not saved!” Also them: “We might not know the exact date of Jesus’s birth, but the important thing is that we know he came and people have been changed ever since.” Christian, don’t feel guilty or even condemned because people … Continue reading The Date of Christmas →

The Christmas story is a miraculous event. Yet had we seen it, most of it would have been very plain, ordinary, and filled with many of the boring matters of life. It was indeed entirely supernatural from start to finish, but those exciting, supernatural parts were only seen just a handful of times. On one … Continue reading The Supernatural Ordinary →

Two great mysteries of the Christian life, both of them declared by God at the very, very beginning of Paul’s new life in Jesus: ELECTION and AFFLICTION. It’s as if God tells each of his children, “You’re mine… and it’s gonna hurt." But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for HE IS a … Continue reading Election and Affliction →

Wrote something for school about sexual faithfulness in the ministry. It is far from complete or perfect, but it is something we should all think about… The specific issue I will focus on concerns ways in which the church and a pastor can protect himself and his marriage (if married) from emotional and sexual unfaithfulness. … Continue reading Don’t Take the Bait →

People: “Don’t talk about your suffering when there is someone suffering far more than you.” Jesus: “Talk to me about your suffering, and I won’t make you feel guilty even though I suffered far more than you.“ Christian, don’t present a Savior who is only concerned once someone‘s pain and loss hits a certain mark … Continue reading Guilt Doesn’t Produce Gratitude →

“$99 for a flashlight?!” At an outdoors class I attended several years ago, one of the students asked the instructor what he planned to do with the money he made from his Saturday side job. He replied by showing what he had bought using the money from a previous class earlier in the year. He … Continue reading Surefire Christianity →

Youth ministry consists of ceaseless acts of delegation and helping others, and summer camps are a prime example. Earlier this month, I took our teen group to our annual summer camp in Tennessee. Transporting about 30 people across multiple vans and vehicles is never without stress, and there are always surprises along the way. But, … Continue reading Delegation →

Being in the ministry as a youth pastor can lead to some very awkward predicaments. Some of those involved people, and some of them involved problems. Sometimes it can be the preaching of strange passages, and sometimes it can be unclear planning. But besides people, problems, preaching, and planning, there are two “P”s that will … Continue reading Church Projectors →

Christian, when you go to church tomorrow remember that behind most of the smiles are hurting hearts that are desperate for hope. When you hear the songs, what you won’t be able to hear are the nagging doubts in souls who wonder if the lyrics they sing are true. There will be visitors who feel … Continue reading A Little Bit of Compassion Goes a Long Way →

Inside of every hurt, broken, struggling… healed, restored, overcoming Christian there’s a perfect holiness within. It isn’t earned; it’s freely given. And one day, despite the doubts of their mind and heart and despite every outward disappointing appearance, it’ll shine brighter than anything else… except the Holiness from Whom it came. Christian, every single time … Continue reading O Lord, Haste the Day →

Justification? Instantaneous. Glorification? In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Sanctification? Seconds… minutes… hours… days… weeks… months… years… decades.

“Tony Walker never heard the gunshot. Back in his room, playing video games with a neighbor boy, the 10-year-old only heard what he called the usual ‘fussing’ between his mother and (step)father. Then he heard his mother say something like, ‘Don’t do it.’ When Tony came out, he found his mother, Judy S. Walker, lying … Continue reading Sound Doctrine →