Christian conversation online after the Super Bowl Halftime Show is interesting–and not in a good way. The same is true after the GRAMMYs or any other significant event in music and entertainment. It seems that celebrities, artists, and entertainers are the Christian community’s favorite group of people to criticize. Here’s how I got clued into this phenomenon. There's A Better…
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. Kind words are like honey-sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. (Proverbs 15:1 // Proverbs 16:24) Words are powerful and the way we use them matters. Too often we treat our world-especially our online world-as a place where we can carelessly throw out criticizing words…
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Those are the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:6 as He gave what is known as the Sermon On The Mount. In this central teaching moment in the ministry of Jesus, He laid out the foundations for life according to His Kingdom. Righteousness in lifestyle is…
We’re half way into January. Have you given up on your New Year’s Resolution yet? Maybe you didn’t even make one because you know from past experience you’re not going to follow through with it anyway. Try. Fail. Forget. Give up. Try again next year. Maybe. It’s a vicious, annual cycle. Growth and change are hard for me too.…
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1:23) How many times have you heard that verse? Christmas cards. Christmas carols. It's familiar Christmas language in our culture, especially in Christian environments. How many times have you stopped to think about…
Don't you love when art or culture teaches you a lesson about life with Jesus? I do. Last week I shared with you that thankfulness isn't just for Thanksgiving but that you can live with thankfulness and peace every day by thanking God for what He has done in your life and talking to Him about what worries you. That…
How does God feel about you when you fail? Angry? Disappointed? Wants nothing to do with you anymore? If you’re like a lot of people, maybe these are some of the words that come to mind. I used to believe those things. For years, actually. Even after becoming a Christian, I used to think that if made a…
Fun fact about me: I love The Voice. It’s one of my favorite shows. I also love seeing God’s truth illustrated in art and in everyday interactions. So while watching a couple of weeks ago a few things stood out to me that were great illustrations of lessons the Bible teaches us about how to live. Before we jump…
Christianity may not be about what you think it's about. Jesus might be radically different than you think He is. Here’s something you or someone you know may have experienced. You sincerely try to follow Jesus according to His truth. You eventually get confused or frustrated because somewhere in the ocean of well-intentioned self-righteous standards, popular theology of our…