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A Family Devotional Guide for Easter Weekend
In preparation for Easter, I’ve put together a short devotional guide based on 1 Corinthians 15:1–8, 53–58. Ideally, this is a great resource to use on or near Easter Weekend. This could be done in one day (example: Good Friday), or you could read it in two segments (the first two talking points on the first day & the third talking point on the second day). Download the pdf version of “A Family Devotional Guide for Easter” or simply view the plain text below. The Good News of Jesus Christ Read: 1 Corinthians 15:1–8, 53–58 Read the passage out loud as a family. Then go through…
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4 Purposes of Illustrations in Faith Conversations
Most of us can regurgitate Christianese taught in church, but what is not always easy is engaging in deeper, spiritual conversations. Sometimes we tend to listen just long enough to find a point in the conversation where we can interject with our own ideas. But conversation with our children, family, & friends requires attentive listening, as well as thought-filled answers. J. P. Moreland and Tim Muehlhoff address this in The God Conversation, a book designed to help Christians wrestle with non-Christians’ tough questions through illustrations: “The thoughts and questions our friends have about God and the Christian faith require careful answers. Our answers require study of the Scriptures, reading of Christian thinkers…
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7 Outreach Ideas for Valentine’s Day
It’s no secret—humans crave love, even to the point of creating a holiday to celebrate it. A holiday where, per the National Retail Federation, American spending soared to 19.7 billion dollars last year! Just what are we spending our dollars on? Jewelry, an evening out, and flowers are the big-ticket items. But we don’t just spend money on our significant others. More and more people are spending money on things like appreciation presents for teachers, valentines for class mates, cookies for neighbors, etc. It’s a truly honorable thing to show appreciation for those closest to us, whether through homemade or store bought items. But this year, I encourage you to consider…
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Why the Gospel Matters in 2017
As 2016 came to an end, several of us found ourselves grieving over the harsh realities of our fallen world — mass shootings, Zika, civil unrest, terror attacks, Aleppo, corruption in politics, the refugee crisis in Europe, and lives over far too quickly. To sum it all up one woman made a “dumpster fire ornament” and tweeted “Dear 2016: I made you this ornament. It’s a dumpster fire.” People identified with her sentiments, and it went viral. Many of us are relieved 2016 is over. Some of us are fearful over what 2017 may hold. As believers, we weep with the world as it groans under the tyranny of sin,…
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Christmas Changes Everything
“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more, When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death, And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Over the years, I’ve come to see Christmas in a new light. Magical to me as a child. Mixed feelings during parts of my adulthood. Now, a time of hope and waiting. The people of God have long been familiar with the concept of waiting. After the prophet Malachi concluded his message from the…
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Learning about God Through Nature
When the Old Testament talks of God’s glory, it often refers to a visible manifestation of God. For example, the stories of the tabernacle in Exodus or Ezekiel’s vision of the temple, both expressing God’s intent to dwell among men. But it’s also related to God’s self-disclosure through the world around us: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays his handiwork. Day after day it speaks out; night after night it reveals his greatness. There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard. Yet its voice echoes throughout the earth” (Ps. 19:1–4a). Sometimes talking about God with smaller children gets tricky because we…
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4 Phrases to Stop Using in Evangelism
Sometimes confusing phrases occur in evangelism, which tend to muddle people (especially children) and fail to communicate the clarity of the gospel and the need to trust in Christ alone. Now please don’t misunderstand. People still get saved even when our words aren’t perfect. A person’s salvation is not dependent on us (thankfully), but on God. When I came to Christ, it was right after hearing one of the phrases below, and I remain forever grateful to that teacher who shared Christ with me. Still, whenever possible, let’s make sure our language communicates the gospel message in the best way possible. Phrases to Avoid: #1—Give Your Heart to Jesus The…
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Helping Kids Process Traumatic Events
Living in an information saturated world means we often get bombarded with news events. I recall crying when I read the news on Sandy Hook and feeling sick to my stomach over the events in Paris. And now, the latest terrorism in Orlando leaves us all stunned—CNN is calling it the “deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.” How do we respond to such events? And, how do we help our children process difficult news when we struggle to make sense of it ourselves? Be careful of media exposure—Whenever possible, avoid letting children under 5 view any traumatic news. Many psychologists also suggest that children between the age of 6–11 should…
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The Right Perspective Makes all the Difference in Evangelism
Many of us experience fear and trepidation over the thought of sharing Christ with a child. “What if I make it too complicated?” “What if I don’t have all the answers?” Sometimes it’s because we put too much pressure on ourselves to perform, or even think a person’s salvation is our responsibility. Scripture has much to say about keeping a proper perspective in evangelism, including both those involved and what roles they play (cf. John 4:34–38). Three types of people play a role in evangelism: (1) those who are a part of the harvest––unbelievers, (2) the One who sends out the laborers––God, and (3) the disciples––believers. Unbelievers share several things in…
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3 Ways to Encourage a Love for the Bible
You can’t force someone to like something just because you do, but that doesn’t mean you have no influence. As a famous saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. However, you can always feed him his salt.” Sometimes we underestimate our influence over others, especially our own family members. One of the reasons I love the Bible so much today is due to the influence of my parents, older siblings, and respected adult leaders in our church. Here are 3 Ways to pass on a love for the Word of God. 1.) Be excited about God’s Word & show it. In baseball,…
