Grace and Truth Together
“…But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20) Imagine, an elderly, respected man, a pillar of the community, tucking his long robes in his belt and running to welcome his son […]
Brotherly Love?
“When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” (Genesis 37:4) As you know, Philadelphia is “the City of Brotherly Love.” As of July 20 of this year, 1,289 people had been shot in Philadelphia so far, which […]
“By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” (Hebrews 11:23) The author of Hebrews tells us that Moses’ parents defied Pharaoh for two reasons: vision and courage. They had a vision of the […]
Family of Light
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8) We live in a dark, dark world…and it is getting darker. What does it mean, then, to live as children of light? Does it mean we use our social media pulpits to condemn sin and […]
Talkin’ ’bout My Generation
“After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10, NLT) Funny that this topic of “generations” comes up this week with so much talk about this topic lately. The “Boomers” didn’t have much respect for my generation, “Generation […]
25 Years and Counting
“[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.“ (1 Corinthians 13:7, NKJV) The other day, Christine and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. TWENTY-FIVE. Can’t believe it’s been that long…can’t believe we are that old! So many friends congratulated us and said very kind things about our marriage. Thank you. […]
Fall Festival
PRESS RELEASE for immediate release Denton/Sanger, Texas On a beautiful Fall Sunday night, October 29, New Life Church hosted their annual Fall Festival. The church grounds were filled with 550 happy children and parents – up 100 people from the year before. Guests walked in through a hay bale castle gate (via the imagination of […]
Following the Good Shepherd
“A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves […]
I Will Grow with Others
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? […]
Being the Church
Jesus was known to upset an applecart or two in his day. In his most famous sermon, he went through a whole list of cultural norms and modified them. One in particular was love. It is natural for us to love our friends and hate our enemies. But God wants us to extend our boundaries […]
Joy in the Holy Spirit
I’m sure you’ve heard of the KISS principle, right? Keep it simple, stupid. Things aren’t always as complex as they seem. Sometimes the answers really are easy. Sometimes you don’t need a five point game plan, you just need to pray. Sometimes you don’t need to go for more counseling, you just need to read […]
Empty Nest Syndrome
This week we asked our dear friends Bill and Jo Ellen Knight to discuss the so-called “empty nest syndrome.” They are uniquely qualified to do this – they’ve raised three godly kids who are now wonderful spouses and parents. When Christine and I aren’t sure how to parent (which is often!), the Knights are who we ask! As the Lord is preparing our own family for this stage, we thought we’d ask the experts: “How do you handle your kids growing up and leaving you with an ‘empty nest?’”
