In a fracturing church, maybe it’s time to focus on a basic remedy
Church watchers and church leaders everywhere are seeing a decline in church health today. Could it be that one small church in a tiny town has come up with a remedy?
“Lost in Disneyland,” a picture of many, a challenge for the church
People around us spend energy and capital searching for the next big thrill. But the church offers what they need most.
Everyday blessings and my challenge not to take them for granted
Vacation time with special blessings has given me the chance to reflect on how I experience God’s goodness every day.
Beyond Thanksgiving turkeys: another look at church-sponsored handouts
“Big government” isn’t the only entity giving handouts without building self-sufficiency. The dollars are fewer, but the process is the same with some initiatives local churches sponsor.
Mountain meditation: celebrating the diversity in all God has created
A visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park reminded me to broaden my appreciation for what —and who—God has created.
Why a Christian friend may bring us closer to God than anything else
Many speak of friends, but we too seldom see friendship as a spiritual pursuit.
Let’s develop our prayer habit to be ready for the next 9/11
Churches reported record attendance on the Sunday after the 9/11 terror attacks. But for many, prayer has again become a routine or forgotten duty. How will we be strong for the next crisis?
How my church pointed me and others toward a lifetime of ministry
Reflections on a simple initiative in a small church that created decades of ministry with multiplied influence.
My day at the fair: downhome delights and cultural Christianity
I was impressed by so much I saw at the fair, but before I had left, the nods to God left me a little concerned.
What can Christians do as we watch the news from Afghanistan?
Like many Americans, I felt helpless as I watched the news this week from Afghanistan. But more than one website has shown me one thing I can do.
Three examples to show why balance may be life’s most elusive goal
We just expect Olympic athletes to perform remarkable moves on the balance beam without falling off. But balance in everyday life is an even bigger challenge.
“Goal times,” an Olympian’s challenge for all the rest of us
We may look at the seemingly superhuman feats of Olympic athletes and just move on. Or we might ask if personal improvement is something we could achieve, too.
How we can, and why we should, embrace our everyday powerlessness
My own life experience has been a path toward admitting and then deciding how to cope with my powerlessness. So Dean’s advice about the subject resonated with me deeply.
Happiness is not the best goal. For believers there’s something better
Are you happy? That’s likely not the first question to worry about, because God has promised something better.
Three tips for weeding your garden, and other untended places
When it comes to weeding, I’m afraid my thoughts go faster to the devil than to God. Thoughts from a summertime gardener.
Praying “God, bless America!” It’s more than a song or a sentiment
“God Bless America,” made famous by Kate Smith decades ago, really is a prayer, not a national anthem. Let’s pray the prayer this Independence Day.
Why it’s good to find ourselves in the place of the in-between
The wait on earth for heaven seems short for the dying. But all of us are dying. All of us are in the place of in-between. And realizing this is very good.
‘Tied in knots by sin’—this need not be the believer’s circumstance
“I couldn’t decide which sin was worse, and it tied me up in knots.” What a pitiful—and perhaps too typical—condition for the Christian.
A better way to deal with sin than focusing on how wrong it is
The atheist . . . the article about pornography . . . and an insight about coping with the sin in our lives.
Simple standards, a life to celebrate, an example to remember
When we see even the basic attributes of Christianity lived out among us, we always notice. Love. Serve. Remembering a life that showed us how.