As we enter the Christmas season, I’ve been thinking about how I have anticipated Christmas over the course of my life. When I was a child, I remember going to Christmas Eve service, visiting my aunt and uncle after church, wanting to rush home to get to bed so that I could see what wonderful […]
Are You Ready for the Unexpected?
It started like any other workday. The sun was low in the sky as Seth departed for his evening shift. He enjoyed his work tending animals. Seth had pet names for many of them, and they knew his voice. The animals felt safe and secure under his care. Seth gathered with his coworkers. It was […]
A Gay-Affirming God?
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 […]
5 Ways the Church Helps Recovery
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 […]
Intimacy and Singleness (Yes, You Can Have Both!)
The scene is familiar to many of us singles: sitting in church on a Sunday, hearing more about the wonderful gift of marriage and the intimate connection it offers. It’s easy to feel deprived or lesser than, like we’re waiting for the day God will finally give us a taste of that intimacy we see […]
There Is No Trap
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 […]
