In many ways, the digital age is both the best of times and the worst of times to be a parent. The good news is our kids have really easy access to so much, right at their fingertips. The bad news is our kids have really easy access to so much, right at their fingertips. The reality is that in all the history of humankind, you (and I) are the first generation of parents to raise kids in both a...
Do you make resolutions at the start of the year? I joke with my family that I made one New Year’s resolution several years back, and it was to no longer make New Year’s resolutions. So far, I’m doing pretty well at keeping it. Truth be told, I think I grew weary of making resolutions during the years I struggled with sexual addiction. Over and over, year after year, I committed to God and myself...
I met Andrea at a half-day training with her college Christian ministry. Andrea is a deeply committed Christian student who believes God’s Word is clear that sex is to be reserved for one man and one woman in a lifelong marriage, and this is no small thing for her because, as she told me, she’s bisexual. She also has a huge heart to see her gay and lesbian friends on campus come to know Jesus and...
A pastor recently asked me if I thought it was worthwhile for churches to try to run their own “recovery” ministries when they could just refer people to recovery groups, therapists, or parachurch organizations like Regeneration. Without hesitation, I answered with an emphatic, “Yes!” When it comes to life-dominating sins or addictions, thank God for humble church leaders who point their people...
Our aim as Christians should always be to have compassion on people. But don’t get this confused with having compassion on the delusions that hold them. Sometimes it’s difficult to know the difference between the two. I walked with Paul for a long time. He was a weekly participant in a group for men seeking freedom from sexual addictions, and in a lot of ways, he was an ideal member of our group:...
Do you struggle with anxiety, worry, or fear? I do too, but I’m discovering something that’s making a big difference. I’ve had a life-long relationship with fear and its many faces: anxiety, worry, fright, and a nagging sense of impending doom. Some of my earliest memories are memories of fear: fear of the dark, fear of the first day of school, fear when I was in the water, fear when I got lost...