GOOD FRIDAY     Today is called “Good Friday.”  It is an annual reminder to Christians around the world to honor the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  Honestly, it is surprising that the excruciating execution of the only perfect person in all of human history is called good.  But the cross of Christ is good in multiple ways.       The painful cross of Jesus shows us the truth about our sinfulness.  W...  Read More

    “ I don’t love you anymore; I want a divorce.”   “I’m sorry but we have to let you go.”   “Mom, do not call me again.” A bitter spouse, an exasperated boss, or an ungrateful, grown child; these are just a few of the faces of rejection you may have experienced.  Rejection, it’s an ugly word and a painful emotional scar that all of us encounter from time to time.  How do we deal with it? Jesus C...  Read More

      Let me be clear: I like my life, but as a Christian I know there is better; I long for what God has promised.   God’s promise of a new heaven and new earth is multi-faceted (Revelation 21:1).      First, there is the fully realized relationship with God Himself. I think of this life and our relationship with God being like an unborn child’s experience with her mom.  There is a relationship; ...  Read More

BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS      Three in five American adults state they consider themselves to be lonely (The Lonely Century, Noreena Hertz, 6).  Sixty percent of U.S. nursing home residents say they never have any visitors (The Lonely Century, Noreena Hertz, 7).  We long for attachment wherever we can find it.  There are already cases of children learning “Alexa” before “Mama” (The Lonely Century, Nor...  Read More

      What are you afraid of? Do you ever play a negative “what if” game in your head?  What if I lose my job?  What if my spouse leaves?  What if I do not have enough money in my IRA?  Many struggle with fear from time to time, but for some fear is a constant companion.  Honestly, it feels like our culture is marinating in fear.  Psychologist Robert Leahy said, “The average child today exhibits t...  Read More

      Sin divides.  The sin of racism divides people of different ethnicities.  The sin of selfishness divides spouses, sometimes even leading to divorce.  The sin of resentment can separate a grown child from his parents. The sin of pride can separate someone from every relationship in his life. Often we can overcome these divisions by building a relational bridge.  Christians are called to be Ch...  Read More

     John Maxwell once said, “everything rises or falls on leadership” (Leadershift, 12).  I think you can see this truth whether you are working in a business, church, non-profit, union or school.  But what are some keys to compelling leadership?  How can we lead effectively, whatever our role?     Follow first.  The best leaders are followers first.  They learn to lead by picking good leaders to...  Read More

      Over the years I have done many individual spiritual plans with people.  One of my questions in this process is to mention the fruit of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22,23).   I then ask if there is one of these fruits that is really flourishing in their life and which one is missing or struggling?  The...  Read More

      As Christmas fades into memory and the new year is upon us let us talk about one of the great gifts that Jesus put under our Christmas trees—transformation.  Unfortunately, this particular gift comes with a label, that as a father of five children, I hate to see on any gift—"some assembly required.”  Jesus saves us not only from something (eternal separation from God) but to something, a new...  Read More

      Years ago when we lived in Indianapolis, Indiana, I was called by a funeral home to perform the eulogy for a person I had never met. I connected with the family and then performed the funeral.  During the funeral, one of the family members skipped the service, went to the home of the deceased, changed the locks on the house, and began taking items they wanted from the home.  Greed, it’s ugly...  Read More

     In 1 Kings 2, King David is on his death bed having a conversation with his son Solomon, who will succeed him as the king of Israel.  David tells Solomon to kill a man named Shimei after He is gone.  Wow!  David orders a murder right before his death.  The backstory is that years before, there was a civil war in Israel.  Absalom, David’s son, led a revolt against him causing David to flee the...  Read More

     Who is the difficult person in your family? At work? Picture them.  Maybe they are a constant critic, or very controlling.  Christians are called to be peacemakers, even ministers of reconciliation; how do we do this with the difficult people that we find in our context?  How do we pursue relational peace?        First, PRACTICE HUMILITY.  I am embarrassed to admit that I was an adult before ...  Read More