The current commercialization of Christmas makes me wonder if we shouldn’t call it “Me-mas.” From many angles, December can be an awfully self-centered time of the year, can’t it? It can produce the very thing God hates—self-centeredness and pride. Let’s be honest, when you spend … Read More
O LITTLE Town of Bethlehem (for sure!)
His name was Phillips Brooks. And the year was 1865. It was Christmas Eve, and Philips was riding horseback from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, where he was to assist with the midnight Christmas Eve service. The memorable journey impacted him, and though he tucked away the … Read More
One Small But Significant Action
Few people in the early 1900’s knew the hidden power of a single, small action better than James Flannigan, a pastor in Omaha, NE in 1917. You see, while most of America was wrapped up in World War 1, checking the papers daily to see … Read More
The Small Gifts of Christmas
Small things can make a big difference! And small books can have a great impact. Such is the case with the short, self-titled book by the prophet Micah. In fact, it’s small things that Micah brings attention to throughout the three sections of his prophecy. Micah … Read More
Communion and Kids: What’s a Parent To Do?
One of the best aspects of our current 31-week series, “The Story,” is the every-week observance of Communion. It has been a delight to return to the cross week after week, remembering and proclaiming our Lord’s death (1 Cor 11:26). Better yet, because our elementary … Read More
What You See Isn’t Always What You Get
His name was Michael, and the year was 1993. I was a youth pastor in Georgia, and had heard through a another YP that Michael, who was going to be helping us with a local function, was simply “out-of-this-world” when it comes to youth work. … Read More
The Dad Difference
Take a long, hard look at America and its families, and you’ll see, by in large, there is a leadership void among men. I personally believe the crises in our nation – dysfunctional homes, school dropouts, extreme violence, and teen suicide, to name a few … Read More
The Real Issue
Some of my favorite conversations have been “discussions” (i.e., debates) on a current topic. Unfortunately, some of larger frustrations were those very same conversations where I found myself arguing about an issue with someone who’s mind is already convinced! (I suspect they were probably frustrated … Read More
The Adrenaline god
More and more, people in the new millennium are looking for a rush, a thrill, a high-risk adventure that produces a non-stop flow of adrenaline. Think about it — the return of Fear Factor, the Amazing Race, as well as various game shows that promise … Read More
Love Win[K]s
One of the dangers of generalizing something is that you remove most, if not all, of its power. It becomes so generic that it is no longer effective. And when people come in contact with it, it’s as if they’re anesthetized by its vagueness and … Read More