-
Sexuality and Faith: Male and Female in God’s Good Design
Recently, a colleague and I brought together more than 20 seminary scholars, expert therapists, and researchers in specific areas of sexuality to form a written compilation that released this month from Kregel Academic. The title is Sanctified Sexuality: Valuing Sex in an Oversexed World. One endorser described each chapter as being like a “TED Talk” in each writer’s area of expertise. All contributors agreed to donate profits to the Institute for Sexual Wholeness. So, sales support a good cause. The book’s topics include a theology of the human body; gender; gender dysphoria; identity; same-sex attraction; adolescent sexuality; celibacy; cohabitation; contraception; human dignity; infertility; marital sexuality; divorce/remarriage; rape/#MeToo/#ChurchToo, how to have conversations with…
-
Finding peace, joy, and contentment in the Son
Philippians 4:1–9 is part of the lectionary readings for the nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, which is October 11th. In this passage, Paul addressed his readers in Philippi with several endearing phrases. He called them his “brothers and sisters” (v. 1), as well as his “dear friends.” The apostle told the Philippians that he cared for them and desired to see them. He also described them as the source of his “joy.” Likewise, they were the basis for the eternal reward, or “crown,” he would one day receive in heaven for evangelizing the lost. Paul could have commanded his readers to “stand firm in the Lord.” Instead, the apostle encouraged the…
-
You Need This: 3 Truths About Self-Care
How can we practice self-care in a world gone mad? Here are three truths to guide us in self-care.
-
On the Death of “Notorious RBG”
When I entered the tenth grade in Northern Virginia’s Wakefield High School—two miles outside of Washington D.C.—our school had no women’s sports teams. But then Title IX got expanded in a way that gave women the right to equal opportunity in sports in educational institutions that received federal funds. And that included us. So, my Phys Ed teacher invited me and others to play on the inaugural women’s varsity soccer team. And we said yes. Our team wasn’t so great. And people told us the men’s teams were way more fun to watch. They were right, of course. But sadly, only in the past few years did it dawn on…
-
THE SIN WHICH SO CLEVERLY ENTANGLES US
How does one come to this place? Regret. Dark places in the back corners of the mind. Thoughts and deeds done in secret. Memories hidden from as many as possible and hopefully forgotten by the few. Painful remembering of deeds done that cannot be undone. A first, that led to a second, and then a third. Patterns set in time.
-
Home School Syndrome
I highly recommend that every parent and teacher read Paul David Tripp’s book, Parenting, 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family. Learning better how to wield our authority will revolutionize our homes and churches.
-
An Invitation to Lament
Everyone is grieving. Students mourn the ball games and proms they didn’t have. Folks agonize over the jobs and insurance they’ve lost. People ache after their loved one joined nearly a quarter of a million others killed by this “novel” virus. We’re all grieving . We need to. We need to wrestle and scream and plead with God to do something about the whole dadgum thing. Actually, we need to lament. Today I invite you to lament with me. We’ll journey together, interactively, so grab something to write with and get into a comfy chair. Begin by jotting down the first thoughts that come to mind when you hear the…
-
Is this thing on?
It’s 9:55am on a Tuesday morning and in 5 minutes I’m about to go “live” on Facebook to share a lesson or devotional on a special Facebook Page aimed at the kids and parents that call Rock Creek Church their church home. I’m prepared and ready to share something utterly profound and amazing since after all God’s word is indeed just that, but then I realize I have no idea if even one person will be online with me to see it. Will I be saying “is this thing on?” That’s when it struck me…Oh my Goodness, does God feel this way sometimes? Does God sometimes feel like anyone is hearing him? Granted,…
-
Shame, Jesus, and Me
This month I’m honored to invite my friend and teammate Christian Williams as my guest blogger. I love being in Christian’s company because one minute she’s making me laugh so hard I’m crying and the next she has stopped me in my tracks with a thought-provoking reflection. Christian is a Dallas transplant (Native Arkansan) and DTS student who loves communicating truth and building safe, authentic, purposeful communities. She feels God’s pleasure most when using her imagination, storytelling, teaching, and living in intentional relationships which yield growth and transformation. Dub: (verb) to give an unofficial name or nickname to (someone or something). I dub everything. From my period- I call her…
-
A Children’s Pastor’s response to COVID-19. What an opportunity it is!
It’s everywhere and it’s effecting everyone. No one is exempt from the effects of COVID-19. This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen and I thought 9/11 was about as crazy as it gets. I would have never guessed that I’d see the day that I would run out of toilet paper and there wouldn’t be anymore to buy. What’s funny is that there are people out there that have 800 rolls of toilet paper filling up a closet or garage in their home. Who would have known that a respiratory virus would require so much toilet paper to cure? I wish I was half as smart! Oh well, I’ll…
