How do you respond to family drama? Roll your eyes? Frustration? Anger? Weeping? It is particularly difficult when it is the kind of family drama that has hurt you. When your family has betrayed you, the pain can go so deep. Have you ever experienced that? What should you do? How should you respond? InContinue reading “How to respond to family drama – Characters: Joseph, Part 4”
Monthly Archives: October 2019
Finding God in our mess – Characters: Joseph, Part 3
Life can feel so messy. Have you ever been in one those the seasons of life where it seems like things keep going wrong? Just when you think you are getting past one hurdle, here comes another one. You jump one, then two, and you barely make it over the third, and you’re so tired,Continue reading “Finding God in our mess – Characters: Joseph, Part 3”
When God is nowhere to be found – Characters: Joseph, Part 2
Have you ever felt utterly alone and abandoned by your family, friends, and even by God? If so, you’re not alone. Maybe people hurt you. Maybe you made a bad choice. Maybe life turned out different from your hopes and dreams. There are many ways we can find ourselves in despair. Keep reading as ourContinue reading “When God is nowhere to be found – Characters: Joseph, Part 2”
Do you have family drama? Characters – Joseph, Part 1
Family drama. None of your families have drama, right? Yeah, mine neither. (I hope you don’t believe that.) Actually, family drama is the stuff of life. We all have it. Think about all the words we use to describe it. Some of you might remember the classic line from the sitcom Friends, “We were onContinue reading “Do you have family drama? Characters – Joseph, Part 1”
Be determined in God’s direction – Characters: Jacob, Part 5
I love the picture above. Having done a good bit of running myself, I am always amazed at people who keep at into their older years. My grandfather participated in the Senior Games into his 90s, winning speed walking events. That is the picture of determination. In this series of posts we’ve been following theContinue reading “Be determined in God’s direction – Characters: Jacob, Part 5”
Why we need to wrestle with God – Characters: Jacob, Part 4
In this series, we’ve been looking at a character in the Hebrew Bible, a guy named Jacob. In the previous post, we left Jacob about to cross over the border of his brother, Esau’s land. He had deceived his brother 20 years before, and when Esau found out, Esau threatened to kill Jacob. Jacob fledContinue reading “Why we need to wrestle with God – Characters: Jacob, Part 4”
God can still use you after you sin? Characters: Jacob, Part 3
Have you ever messed up and thought, I’ve ruined my life? Maybe it was a mistake a work. Maybe it was a terrible relationship choice. You might have been selfish or unkind with what you said to a family member or friend, and now things between you are cold. Are you wondering if there isContinue reading “God can still use you after you sin? Characters: Jacob, Part 3”
Birthright & Blessing (or ripping off your siblings) – Characters: Jacob, Part 2
I have a family member who love to joke about ripping off his siblings by selling them stuff at prices higher than he purchased the items for. He’s actually a loving brother. But sibling rivalry is so common. How have you experienced it in your family? As we continue reading the story of Jacob andContinue reading “Birthright & Blessing (or ripping off your siblings) – Characters: Jacob, Part 2”
Introducing “Characters” – a series about how flawed people can still be used by God – Characters: Jacob, Part 1
Who in your life would you say is a real character? Usually we say a person is a character when they are wild, crazy, bold, extroverted, or humorous. Maybe certain people in your life come to mind. But the reality is that every single one of us is a character. We are each made inContinue reading “Introducing “Characters” – a series about how flawed people can still be used by God – Characters: Jacob, Part 1″
“Radical Forgiveness” with Jonas Beiler and Joel Kime (Youth Culture Matters: A CPYU Podcast)
Thanks to my friends at the Center for Parent Youth Understanding, as they recently had me on a guest panel for an episode of their podcast. In light of Botham Jean’s brother forgiving Amber Guyger, Walt Mueller asked me to be on the CPYU podcast. It was really interesting hearing Jonas Beiler talk about hisContinue reading ““Radical Forgiveness” with Jonas Beiler and Joel Kime (Youth Culture Matters: A CPYU Podcast)”
Let's Talk About Sunday 