Something caught my attention in Jeremiah 3:6-18. So far in Jeremiah, God has not held any punches about Israel and their unfaithfulness. Israel has no concern for God while they pursue false gods. So, God blatantly condemns them for their sin and their indifferent attitude toward their sin. Yet, in 3:11-12, God mercifully calls Israel …
Continue reading The Before and After of Repentance (A Devo on Jeremiah 3:6-18)
Recently my family and I took a long trip down to the beach to spend the day with a couple friends and their families. We were rushed and running late (as always) and so we clicked the text they had sent us with the address and hit the road. We did not check the destination …
We live in an age of constant, instantaneous, never-far-from, and ever-imposing digital glitz and glam. Many pixels have been spilt on how our attention to media and its delivery systems have shaped us. One of the chief results of our media-intaking moment is a rise in distracted behavior. I don’t mean those fleeting thoughts that …
Some say "It takes a village to raise a child." I may not completely agree with this statement and it's common applications, but I do think it points to a basic developmental reality sometimes overlooked or under-appreciated by the Church: Community shapes youth. Community is powerful. It is powerful because it is partnership. A community …
With churches not gathering, schools closed, sports scrapped, jobs furloughed, relationships fizzling, proms and graduations snubbed, and vacations axed – disappointment abounds. Disappointment is sadness caused by unfilled hopes and expectations. It can be difficult to handle. We have a choice in disappointment – continue in faith or not. Philippians 4:13 says, “I am able …
Continue reading Devos for A Strange, New World – I Can Be Content
A few weeks ago, we discussed spending our free time on spiritual disciplines - let’s return to the subject of spending time and ask this – what do your free time activities tell you about your heart? There is a heart level competition for what you love the most. What we spend our free time …
Continue reading Devos for A Strange, New World – Idol Hands
Seven weeks inside the same house with the same family will drive anyone mad, right? God calls us to have an extraordinary amount of patience with one another. Paul, in Ephesians 4:1-3, says, “I urge you to live worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one …
Continue reading Devos for A Strange, New World – Patience is a Virtue
Resources for family discipleship can extremely useful in the making and maturing of your children into disciples of Jesus Christ. It is tough to find reliable and engaging resources that remain, above all, Christ and Bible centered. In an effort to help us all disciple our own family well (or prepare to disciple your future …
Continue reading An Ongoing List of Resources for Family Discipleship
COVID has brought many of us closer to death. This virus has made us think on mortality more – ours and our beloved. I pray this shouldn’t happen, but if a moment of loss comes, how will you react? Preparing to respond to loss biblically helps us process death’s sorrow with great joy. Mourning loss …
Continue reading Devos for A Strange, New World – Through Sorrow with Joy
I lost my father a week ago on Monday, April 6th, 2020. It was my birthday. It was supposed to be the 6th day of his retirement. I hadn't seen him in almost 2 weeks due to COVID quarantine and the last time I talked to him he was weak and could barely understand me. …
Familyhood 