This seems provocative—fear is not a sin—but it is not intended that way. Instead, it’s a natural way to understand Scripture. God is pleased to give us both his words and his heart, his words and the tone of his words. It is important to understand both. His words can be wrapped in his grief or his anger, yet even then he always invites us to come to him. His words to the fearful come from a...
The best college basketball player in the country in 1993 was Indiana University’s Calbert Cheaney—and I was a HUGE fan. Little did I know God would use Calbert to give me a glimpse of glory at an impressionable age. I was fifteen-years-old and in love with the game of basketball. My sister Julie was a senior at Indiana, where Calbert was breaking scoring records. Because Julie and Calbert were...
I remember working with a military service member wrestling with bondage to sexual sin. As we talked, he eventually said, “You know, this reminds me of the training I received about what to do if I was ever stranded in the ocean off a sunken ship.” I was perplexed and intrigued. Maybe you feel the same as you read his reply. I asked him to explain what he meant. He described why the temptation to...
Helping children navigate mistreatment by others can be very challenging. At times it is happening to them; at times it is happening in front of them; and at times it may even be happening by them. It is important that we help children understand what bullying is and what it is not. The language of bullying can be used as a blanket label to describe many forms of unkind behavior—a mean look, a...
I recall many years ago when our youth ministry had our annual party to welcome new middle school students to our youth and family ministry. It was always a joyful time when student leaders from our youth ministry would welcome the rising middle school students to the youth group with icebreakers and games. We would share a huge meal together, and then we’d usually go outside to my backyard and...
