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Are You Feeling Alone?
Living alone has its ups and its downs. And the downs fell hard last week. With the whole sheltering-in-place in isolation, plus being separated from my kids and church family, I felt distant and untethered. As I sat eating yet another meal . . . alone, I could feel myself sinking deep into shadows. But...
Debbra Stephens
Racial Reconciliation & Church Unity – Part 1 of a Conversation with Bob Russell
*Editor’s Note: Brett Seybold recently sat down with Bob Russell to talk about the state of the American church in light of current events and trends. This is part 1 of that conversation. Q: Although the church should be the place the world looks to in order to find racial reconciliation and racial oneness, the...
When Should You Confront a Fellow Christian’s Sin? Part 1
When it comes to judging the sins of our fellow Christians, do we get a green light or red light from God? We see plenty of verses in the rest of the New Testament that match Jesus’ warning against judging in Matt. 7:1-6. (For more articles on Jesus’ take on judging, see this, this, and...
Jeremy Bacon
A Discipling Model You Can Use Tomorrow: Virtual and Face-to-Face
You see what is happening in the world and you want to make a difference. You realize that you cannot change the world—but you can change the world for a few people. So you want to make disciples. Yet it sounds like a complex task—a huge undertaking. And you do not know where to start....
Bobby Harrington
Rethinking What Bible Character You Are
Whenever I’m watching a movie, if a character has to go under water for an extended period of time, I hold my breath. I’ve done this for as long as I can remember. Not as a psychological reflex or anything, I’m just skeptical. So if I can’t hold my breath that long, I don’t think...
Tim Casey
Room for Grief: The Missing Component of Evangelism
When you try to convince someone to become a Christian, you are also trying to convince him that what he currently believes is not true. This means you’re asking him to give something up—something which has been near, dear, and comfortable to him. Anytime there’s loss, we can expect a season of grief. Our expectations...
Matt Dabbs
Some of your Best Ministry Is Just Being There
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). In my last article, I shared how an elder named Paul Ayers impacted my life. I’d like to continue with the theme by telling you about my preacher. His name was Marion Henderson and he was fairly well known throughout Lincoln Christian...
David Upchurch
Disciples Should Expect God’s Discipline
Throughout this season of COVID, I have been praying a lot. But I also haven’t always known how to say what I’m thinking or feeling. A lot of times, my prayers turn to asking God, “What are you doing behind the scenes during this time?” I’ve known that this is a historical moment for our...
Taffeta Chime
Introducing the Lifestyle of “Theopraxy”
Do you struggle to balance all the commitments and responsibilities of your life? Are you constantly trying to juggle and multitask to meet life’s demands? What if there was only one thing you had to do well? Would that simplicity be desirable? Jesus apparently thought so, because He told us to live that way. He...
Curtis Sergeant
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Letter to a Christian Going through Trauma
Dear Christian going through trauma, I write this letter to you after making it to the other side. The other side of a great journey that many others have traveled. I write after finally making it to the southern facing side of a mountain where the sun shines best. This letter comes from someone that...
Brandon Guindon
Q: Original Sin or Ancestral Sin?
*Editor’s Note: Christianity teaches that we humans inherited some very dark things from the first sin of our original ancestors. But what exactly is it that we inherited from them? Are we being held guilty for a sin we didn’t commit? I reached out to Dr. Michael Strickland to help us understand better what we...
Michael Strickland
A Letter to My Black, Muslim (majority) Friend
*Editor’s Note: Racial tensions are a global reality. The following is a fascinating and encouraging perspective from someone living as a racial and religious minority in a Muslim-majority area of Western Africa. As the author says, “We all need someone to fight for us”; in the letter below, you will get to see what it...
Katie W
Preparing Students for College: Intimate Relationship with Jesus
My church youth group experience was quite exceptional. We had robust teaching, great parental involvement, and lots of peer accountability and encouragement. We went on mission trips. We had small groups. We were encouraged to serve in the various ministries of our church. For the most part, students felt welcome in that community; we belonged....
Tyler Richter
Two Perspectives on Racism and What They Need to Hear from Each Other
Saying racism is “wrong” doesn’t go far enough. I can make a wrong turn. I can give the wrong answer on a test. Wrongness doesn’t sufficiently capture the diabolical nature of racism. Racism de-humanizes and degrades. It is a toxin that destroys and victimizes both the abused and the abuser. It is an egregious offense...
Chad Ragsdale
God Sent Me a Friend: Part 3 of a 3-Way Conversation about Race
*Editor’s Note: This is part 3 of 3 of an honest conversation about race between 3 friends: Dr. Michael Patterson, Angel Maldonado, and Jim Lenahan. All three are ministers. The conversation took place on Sunday, June 7, at The Path Church in Atlanta, GA. Here is Part 1 and Part 2. MIKE: I really was...
Fathers Affect How We See God: Stories from Famous Atheists
Have you ever received a gift at Christmas which was so strange you didn’t really know what to say? The famous neurologist Sigmund Freud gave the world a few things like that. For example, it was Freud who gave us the idea that male children have a deep desire to kill their fathers and marry...
Daniel McCoy
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