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You are God’s Plan A to reach the world, and there is no Plan B. This may feel overwhelming at first, it’s important to note that His strategy doesn’t require you to change careers, memorize every scripture, or become a missionary on the other side of the world. In fact, for most of us it means staying exactly where we are. So what part do you have to play, and what is God inviting you to do ..read more

Everybody knows that just like a road trip isn’t complete without music, a church service isn’t complete without worship. We may not know how we know, or why it’s true, we just know it is. Obviously, there’s something powerful about music, but why do we need to sing (what amounts to) love songs to someone we can’t see, hear, or touch? Especially with other people. It’s kind of weird. Why has worship been essential to religious gatherings since humans started having them? Is it something God requires? Are we obligated to do it? Is it how we prove our worth and earn His blessing? Or is it about ..read more

Life is busy, and it shows no signs of slowing down. For many of us, that means we do our best to maximize our time and minimize distractions. That isn’t always a bad thing, but it certainly can be a bad thing. Some parts of life aren’t meant to be rushed, skipped, or sped through. It might be convenient to drive-thru a favorite fast-food spot, or even Door Dash your meal, but it’s just not the same as sitting down at a table with others. Jesus sat at a few different tables and seemed to think sharing a meal with others was worth it. Why is that, and what can Jesus’ meals then teach us about o ..read more

Making room for and compromising with other people can be uncomfortable and annoying. Which is why a lot of us would rather go it alone. We drive alone, eat alone, and binge our shows alone. The catch is: doing so much alone is…lonely. We all want to find people we just click with—people who share our interests, opinions, and preferences. In other words, people just like us. Is that so bad? Doesn’t God want us to have meaningful relationships? If so, how come so many of us feel unwanted and disconnected? What if we’re missing the kind of connections we long for because they’re inconvenient and ..read more

So much of what we think we need is dictated by what those around us have. We feel the pressure to keep up with and occasionally one-up our neighbors. But social media has expanded our community of comparison to everyone in existence. Which is a little overwhelming. Why is so much of our self-worth tied to what we have, and why do even those who have a lot often feel worthless? How do we break our addiction to more? And how do we teach our kids there’s more to life than having the best stuff ..read more

Statistically, most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, barely making ends meet regardless of how much they make. It’s easier to make money than to make a plan for your money. We tend to just spend what we get on whatever we need in the moment, not realizing that some of our needs may just be wants in disguise. How can you tell the difference? Is it the same for everybody? Is it even realistic to stick to a budget in a modern age? If so, how ..read more

Most families don’t talk about money, especially to their kids. Which is a shame because money is a big part of life. A lot of us leave home without much of a financial compass. What we do know we’ve cobbled together from peers, commercials, and social media. Most of that advice leads us to crave what we don’t have and spend what we haven’t earned. Few people have taken time to think about their philosophy of money, but Jesus talked a lot about just that. He seemed to think the way you spend has a lot to do with what you value and that you could redirect your values with the way you handle you ..read more

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Family first!” What does that mean though? Is the family unit more important than the individuals in it? Does being a part of a family mean letting go of your personal identity? What if what’s good for them is bad for you? The Bible seems to talk a lot about sacrifice. Is that God’s expectation—that give up our goals and dreams for the sake of our family? What if you’re giving so much it’s making you unhealthy? Most families say they want to support each other, but if that’s true, why does it feel like some are doing all the work and others are reaping all the bene ..read more

Family members aren’t always going to get along. That’s a given. With different personalities come different preferences and perspectives. We’re bound to disagree and get on each other’s nerves. Obviously, we can overlook the small stuff, but what about the big stuff? What happens when someone says or does something deeply wounding that they can’t take back? The type of stuff you can’t undo, or fully make up for. What then? Are there certain levels of hurt relationships just can't recover from? How do you make peace with people who don’t seem sorry and may never change? You don’t, right? You c ..read more