From the Blog
-
A Shared Focus
When you visit another country or even another part of our country, you’ll notice several unique features to their community, to their culture. What they believe, whether they are relational, friendly or not, what kind of food they eat and of course what language or dialect they speak. A shared language is one of the…
-
A Shared Food
There’s something about shared food, a shared meal that leads to real community. The same was true of the first century church. In the book of Acts, Luke described the “real community” of the first century church. He said they were marked by four “devotions.” They were a shared faith, a shared family, a shared…
-
A Shared Faith
While communities based around politics, sports, BBQ and regional accents may help us find people to associate with as friends, they fall far short of the real community that God has in mind for us. How do we move from these “pseudo-communities” to real community? In the book of Acts, Luke described the “true community”…
-
The Safety Net – Grandparents
Grandparenting and parenting are two different roles that require different approaches. It can be confusing because grandparents are still their grown children’s parents, but they are not their grandchildren’s parents. Moving from a direct role to a support role, from the decision maker to the influencer, from being in charge, to being an encouragement, is…
-
The Tightrope – Singleness
Sometimes attempts at matchmaking makes singles uncomfortable. Our couples groups and family gatherings make them feel left out. Our questions that imply they are less than whole as a single, make them feel inadequate or like an odd man out. But the truth is there is nothing “odd” about being single. Elijah, John the Baptist,…
-
The Lion Cage – Parenting
The truth is, parents today are worried. They’re worried about their child’s health: obesity, drug abuse, bullying, internet safety, teen pregnancy, gender dysphoria, depression, teen suicide… They’re worried about their education: public, private or home school? College? So, a lot of parenting today is worry-driven, or fear driven. Parents today feel overwhelmed and underprepared. Either…
-
The Flying Trapeze – Marriage
Every marriage is like a high flying dangerous acrobatic endeavor that requires two people to focus on hanging on tight to one another. How is your marriage doing? Are you hanging on tight to one another? Think about your marriage for a minute. Are you experiencing the blessing of God on your marriage today? Wouldn’t…
-
The Circus – Family
What’s the answer to the question, “Who dealt this mess?” We did. That’s the answer. That’s why we worry so much about it. Because we know that much of the mess, if we’re truly honest, is our own fault. Yet no matter how hard we try to have the perfect family, we’re still ending up…
-
God Is Holy
Why is it important for us to consider God’s holiness? Indeed, the word “holy” might be taken negatively by some. If someone calls you a “Holy Joe,” or refers to you as “holier than thou,” you might take it to mean that they think you are judgmental, that you think you’re better than them or…
-
God is Good
“Is God really good?” You ask. Sometimes you may have doubted God’s goodness. For if any of us has had a trauma, a bad diagnosis, lost a job, or suffered a failed relationship… then we’ve asked the age-old question: “If God is good, then why are these bad things happening to me?” Most of us…