Not too long ago there was a commercial on television that featured young children describing what they wanted to be when they grew up. I cannot remember exactly what they said so I am going to paraphrase the general tone of their comments. One said, “When I grow up I’m going to be drug addict.” Another stated, “I am going to be an unwed mother living in poverty,” while another said, “I am going to be a convicted felon,” and so on. The commercial was using the absurd to illustrate that no one starts out in life wanting or planning […]

There’s a question that every boy asks his dad. Whether he actually uses words, whether his dad is even around or not, every boy wants to know what it means to be a man. Boys learn these traits by watching and listening. For every young boy, the elusive goal is to “be the man”…whatever that means. When you hear the word “man” used to describe someone, it generally refers to their gender or age description. This person is a “man” because he’s of the male gender or over a certain age, but being a man is so much more than […]

“But the worries of this age, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19) Will we ever have enough? Will it continue to be enough? How much is enough? And how will we know when we get there? These common questions are on the minds of couples now more than ever. As we’ve seen household income and overall wealth decline in a down market, we’ve also seen – and experienced ourselves – the stress that accompanies financial worries. Combine this with society’s seemingly insatiable need to […]

Over the past few months, a number of things have happened which have given me pause to consider the direction and goals of my life. I have had the joy of beholding the birth of my friends’ new baby boy; children I have known have recently graduated high school, thus beginning a new phase of life. But, I have also experienced the pain of a personal tragedy in my family that lingers even today that will necessitate life-style changes for all involved. Through it all, I have been poignantly reminded of James 4:14 which says that our lives are like […]

I had the amazing privilege of worshiping God with thousands of other people at a Christian worship concert a few months ago. It was truly an amazing experience listening to everyone’s voices and watching people raise their hands to the Living God. Over the last several years, however, God has made me aware that real worship to Him is so much more than a song we sing during a Sunday morning church service or at a worship concert. Just because we worship God outwardly with voices raised and hands held high does not mean our worship is pleasing to Him. […]