Family Devotions and Spiritual Awakenings
"I will get married in a few months. What advice do you have for me?" Working with hundreds of college students, these are words I have heard many times. As...
Christians You Should Know: John Wesley
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life...
Where Praise & Thanks Should Begin
When I was a child Christmas was my favorite holiday. As I have grown older, Thanksgiving has moved into that place. I love the time of year, the emphasis, the...
My Hero Behind the Scenes
The greatest heroes often work behind the scenes. They labor where others cannot see and carry burdens when no one else knows. I am increasingly convinced that at the judgment...
Help for Your Family This Summer
Days are longer, schedules are different, and young people have more free time. Summer is the perfect season to give extra attention to your family. Over the next couple of...
Planning for a Profitable Summer by Pastor Ryan Thompson
The following article was written by our friend, Pastor Ryan Thompson of Newport Beach, CA. Ryan is being used of God to lead the Liberty Baptist Church during an exciting time...
Your Kids Grow You.
Last night was a very special night for me and Tammy. For more than twenty years we had the privilege of being a part of the work of God at...
“Her Mother and I.”
"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" I have asked this question as a minister - but today, as a father, I will have to answer it...
Home Improvement
If you are a home owner you know that there is ALWAYS something that needs to be done! In some ways this physical reality is a picture of its spiritual...
The Greatest Platform On Earth
Each week I stand on some platform to speak to people. A platform is a place that is elevated for the purpose of being seen and heard. It allows everyone...
The Danger of Isolation
Depression is rampant and suicide is on the rise. One of the factors feeding this tragedy is that so many people are very alone. We are the most technologically connected...
NEW PODCAST SERIES: “Family Time”
It has been a great joy to meet so many people across the country who are listening each day to the broadcast and Enjoying the Journey with us through God’s...
Taking Your Family To The Next Level
When I was a young man in Bible College I remember Pastor Sexton telling us that as we grew we must always work to bring our families along with us....
5 Ways to Stand Apart In A Cruel World
Do you know what sets people apart in a crowded world? It is not skin color, educational background, ethnicity, language, economic standing, professional title, talent, or even physical appearance. It...
Going Back On Your Upbringing by Dr. Charles Keen
Lamentations 4:5 says, "...they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills." This describes the extremes one person can go to in life - from being clothed in scarlet to...
Living in Love
This morning Tammy and I had the joy of participating in a special couple's brunch and marriage seminar. Like many other holidays, Valentine's Day provides an emphasis that should be...
The Scariest Job In the World
Every job has its drawbacks and even its dangers. But, what is the scariest job in the world? It is a job that many of us have! The scariest job...
5 Books to Read On Marriage & Family (And One I Am Starting To Read)
This week I had the privilege of speaking in a special seminar on the Christian home. The people in attendance were young and old, single and married, people with children...
Do What You Can Where You Are
We have become a nation of "shut-ins" in many ways. (This should make us more compassionate and caring of those who truly are shut-in and unable to ever leave their...
Revival of The Family Altar
The term has been lost with the passing of time - and so has the use. Few people today think much about a "family altar." Yet in days of revival...
3 Talks To Have While You Are “Social Distancing”
Many of us are spending a little more time at home these days! The worldwide pandemic and resulting restrictions have cut down on travel, meetings, school, and a host of...
My Wife’s Ministry
Our First Valentine’s Day, 1995 My favorite traveling companion is the one that God is allowing me to make this journey through life with. Every place is better with her....
“I’ll Be Home For Christmas…”
"I'll be home for Christmas..." Familiar words from one of the most beloved Christmas carols. There truly is something wonderful about being home at this time of year. And yet,...
From The Back Of My Journal
I am nearing the end of another journal and, God willing, will begin another soon. This is always a reminder to me of the passing of life and the importance...
Thank God For Christian Education
The last two days I have been speaking in Michigan at a wonderful Christian Educator's Convention. It has been a privilege to spend time with men and women who are...
An Epidemic Of Loneliness
Recently NBC aired a special news report on the increase of loneliness in people around the world. The British government has now instituted a "minister for loneliness." This new undersecretary...
How To Help Your Kids Make The Most Of School Days
All over the country young people are returning to school. Our own children start back this week. New beginnings are a wonderful opportunity to set so many things in motion....
The Family Vacation
The European’s have long taken their “holiday,” but it is America that has institutionalized the family vacation. American’s spend an inordinate amount of money every year on elaborate trips and...
A Mother’s Day Meditation: “The Law Of Thy Mother”
Proverbs opens with a father speaking to his son and closes with a mother speaking to her son. Children need the influence and instruction of both dad and mom. In...
Family Worship
Did you know that the first time the word "worship" is used in the Bible is in the context of the home? On top of Mount Moriah Abraham taught Isaac...
7 Specific Prayers for the One You Love
Tammy and I are on our way to speak at a marriage retreat for the next couple of days. This week is, of course, a special time for sweethearts and...
GUEST POST: “A Goodly Heritage”
My first guest author this year is my pastor and hero. He has been my best friend all of my life. I am grateful for dad's testimony of faithfulness. He...
A Simple Idea for Families
A Simple Idea for Families Families are busier than they have ever been. One of the most challenging things to do as a spouse or parent is to consistently read...
Think First!
As children we were always instructed to think before we speak. Now, with children of my own, I realize that this is good advice for adults too. This simple rule...
Quiet in A Noisy World
This is a busy time of the year. It seems that every season has become a hectic one! So much noise. Beneath the surface our hearts long for quiet -...
How to Make This A Great School Year
Our children have just begun a new year at a new school. We have been blessed to have had our children in a wonderful school through the years and are...
An Update on Our Transition
The last few days have been filled with so many wonderful memories…and so much expectation for the future! As we pulled out of Knoxville, Tennessee on Wednesday I reflected on...
A Word to the In-Laws
I know. The title has real potential. A preacher friend of mine recently said to me, "I have no problem with mother-in-laws. I love my wife's mother-in-law!" (For the record,...
A Goodly Heritage
It all started in the mountain state so near to my own heart. Anna Jarvis began to send carnations to her local church in Grafton, West Virginia in honor...
Daily Thanksgiving (Daily Living – Part 3)
I love Thanksgiving. But for too many of us, thanksgiving is a day of the year instead of a way of life. We have established a tradition without applying the...
What I Learned from a Child About Singing Hymns
You can learn a lot from a child. Sometimes those we are teaching become our teachers. This happened to me again recently. As I walked through a certain place I...
Christmas in Heaven?
There is a well-known song that imagines what Christmas must be like in Heaven. In truth, Heaven is one endless season of joy. In that beautiful place the wonder of...
3 Things You Could Write Today
3 Things You Could Write Today Writing is work! It takes time and more mental energy than most tasks. I am currently reading the biography of Jonathan Edwards. Edwards was...
Traveling
Another trip. I am sitting in a hotel room in Fort Worth, Texas tonight. Tomorrow we host an Open House at Crown Southwest and begin a Regional Youth Congress. I...
What to Do When You Have Questions
What to Do When You Have Questions Questions are opportunities to teach. God gave explicit instructions to Israel about what to say when your children ask (Deuteronomy 6:20-25). And ask...
The Rising Death Toll
I enjoy laughter and love life. I wish that every thought could be a happy one. But that is not the world in which we live. Ours is a day...
The Power of Parents
As I sit in my study at home there are two pictures of my parents on the desk in front of me. One is a photograph taken on the night...
Remembering Those Who Cannot Be Home for Christmas
One of the most famous Christmas songs of all time says, "I'll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams." Bing Crosby made it popular but few people today...
For Christian Young People: You ARE Missing Out!
"A prudent wife is from the Lord." This verse means more to me the longer I am married. Tammy and I were driving along in the car recently. The kids...
Why I Believe in Local Church Youth Ministry
Why I Believe in Local Church Youth Ministry For the last twenty years I have had the joy to be involved in youth ministry in some way. It is the...
Dealing with the “Noise” of Life
Dealing with the "Noise" of Life Ours is a noisy world. Growing up in the country, there were certain noises you grew accustomed to. Crickets chirping at night. Birds singing...
A Word for Young People About Parents
Like most children, when I was very young, I memorized the Ten Commandments. The fifth commandment says, “Honour thy father and thy mother.” It is repeated eight times in the...
Dealing with Goodbyes
Goodbyes are hard. I was standing in a security line at an airport not long ago preparing to go through the regular process that has become so much a part...
Aquila and Priscilla: A Biblical Marriage
Aquila and Priscilla: A Biblical Marriage God’s design is for families to serve Christ together in a New Testament church. As we find our place in the Lord’s work, every...
Married Couples Serving God Together
Married Couples Serving God Together My wife and I just returned from our annual couples' retreat. We had the joy of spending some extra time with my favorite couple: my...
Lessons God Is Teaching Me about My Family – Part 2
Home is the greatest classroom on earth...and not just for the children. Every day there is more to learn, and our failures serve to remind us that we have not...
Lessons God Is Teaching Me about My Family – Part 1
The kids are growing up so quickly. At the same time I feel like I am getting old so quickly! Life moves along at a rapid pace and God is...
Just for Men
Just for Men “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 In a day of effeminate men, I am more grateful than...
