We live in a world filled with anxiety, turmoil, and constant change. We may be tempted to think that feelings of instability and insecurity are mostly modern problems, but they have plagued the human heart from the beginning. They were challenges of the church in Colossae. Through You Are Secure: Devotions for When Life Is Uncertain, an eight-week devotional centered on the book of Colossians...
A few months ago, a well-known and deeply respected pastor, author, and teacher posted a heartbreaking confession on his social media: “It is with a shattered heart that I write this letter. I have sinned grievously against the Lord, against my wife, my family, and against countless numbers of you by having a sinful relationship with a woman not my wife.” “I am deeply broken that I have betrayed...
Have you ever heard someone say, “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it”? As Christians, we know that nothing could be further from the gospel. This statement says, first, “Your problems are irreversible, so you are stuck in your own mess.” And second, “You are totally on your own.” In other words, don’t expect help from anybody! If things are going to change, you had better find a way to fix them...
Children and teens face a tremendous amount of pressure from their peers and culture to find their identity in their activities, performance, or feelings. This modern way of looking at identity can be challenging to navigate for parents who grew up with a traditional view of identity rooted in predetermined roles. What if they could help their children and teenagers find their identity in...
Back when my husband was a youth pastor we took to the streets with teenagers and did street dramas. The stories we told had crazy and sometimes scary (think Satan) characters. There were props (think coffins), clowns, and even ballet. We always drew a crowd because people love seeing stories acted out (although some parents ushered their children away quickly). As we go through...
