Take a moment to think about your most recent interactions with your brothers and sisters in Christ, specifically those who are your fellow church members. What are they like? Do you talk about sports, the weather, the latest political news? Was it a sort of “Hey,...
As a middle school math teacher, I have heard many groans from teenagers about their parents. I’ve also heard a growing number of complaints from millennials, my peers, lamenting the shortcomings of their parents. Their stories primarily fall into two general...
How God Brought Me the Older Friends, I Needed The summer after my freshman year at college, I married, moved back to my hometown, and took college courses online. That fall when all my friends my age left for university, I experienced loneliness. We had been...
Subaru has captured the quintessential where did the time go moment. In a recent commercial entitled Moving Out, a blonde-haired little boy packs up his belongings and puts them into the back of the family Impreza. His faithful puppy tags behind. Although way too...
Your Pastor’s wife doesn’t belong on a pedestal. She belongs on the pew next to you. She is like you—a sinner in need of grace. Yet many of you have a false idea of her perfection. You think she perfectly submits to her husband, cooks hearty meals without a mess,...
Luke 7:36-50 Before my wife and I started dating, we sat down with one another to discuss our motives in dating. I wanted to find someone I’d wind up marrying. Earlier in my college years, I tried to date, but I concluded that dating had my heart more than my...
Men are called five times in the English version of Ephesians 5:22-33 to love their wives. The reason men can love our wives Paul says is because of Christ. Christ bled, died, and rose so His people could be empowered by the Holy Spirit to make much of Jesus. One...
Some married couples never deal with their issues and leave conflict hanging there as if it will magically go away on its own. I know this because I saw it in my parent’s marriage. Issues were left unresolved which resulted in more fights about other issues. Soon...
When my wife and I first got together over ten years ago, I thought that given how well things we’re going that married life would be a breeze. I should have known better given the marital difficulties I saw in my parents’ marriage and in that of others I knew....
We went to Alaska a few years ago to visit relatives. Our cousins asked what we wanted to do during our visit. I immediately piped up, “Hiking!” They talked about a few nearby trails, casually mentioning a recent bear attack. “A bear attack?” I asked in a raised...
My wife and I try to read once we get into bed. We started out doing well in our Bible reading plan, but we have lost consistency in that area. My wife had a birthday a couple of months ago. Like most of her birthdays or holidays that deal with gift giving, I...