The fact that God created the universe doesn’t surprise me. Isn’t that what God does? He creates moons & stars, planets & solar systems. He gives life. He redeems mankind. He heals sickness. He causes the sun to rise & commands the oceans to stop. He authors love. These are all God sized jobs.
The [...]

Good leaders are strong and courageous. In Braveheart, William Wallace says, “People don’t follow titles, they follow courage.” Strength and courage inspires people to sacrifice their time, resources, and even their lives to follow their leader.
This principle was true for Joshua. He just became the new leader of Israel. It was his time to step up and lead. [...]

The Bible is such a unique book in that we should not approach it like we do other books. For example, the Bible was never intended to be simply “enjoyed” as we would enjoy good literature…although there is beauty in the words of the Psalms, the writings of the prophets, and truth of the Gospels. [...]

“All You Can Eat”. Many restaurants offer this culinary ritual by asking you to pay a flat fee of about $5.99 and then stuffing yourself on an never ending array of options…from fried chicken to egg rolls & salisbury steak to tacos. After 4 trips to the “food bar” it is then time to visit the [...]

You see on billboards as you drive down the expressway. At ball games written in big letters on small signs and held up in the stands.  The In-N-Out Burger chain prints it on the inside of the bottom rim of their paper cups. Forever 21, a clothing chain, prints it on the bottom of their shopping bags. [...]

Good Friday…seems strange to remember the day Jesus died on the Cross by calling it ‘good’.
Why do we call this day “good”?
It is ‘good’ because Jesus died for us. It is the ultimate act of love.
It is ‘good’ because our sin separates us from God and only through Jesus Christ can our sins be forgiven.
It [...]

April 1st is no longer “April Fools Day” in our family; it is our daughters “Gotcha Day”!
One year ago today, Nicole and I met our daughter for the first time. We had traveled to Taipei, Taiwan to adopt Szu Yu Chen (Emma Szu Yu). I remember pulling up to the orphanage, stepping out of the [...]

In Numbers 13, the Israelites sent spies into the promised land. God promised the land. He told the people it was good. A land flowing with milk and honey. He told them it was their land. When the spies returned they reported that everything was true…the land was good, it was flowing with milk and honey. [...]

How do you balance a life of quiet contemplation, study, and prayer with a life of activity, service, and productivity with the crowd? Are they mutually exclusive? Many think you can’t balance the sacred and the secular. The truth is that busyness can distract us from contemplation & contemplation can insulate us from reality. So how we [...]

Well it finally snowed in Atlanta yesterday. Emma has been wanting to see snow all winter. Spending her first 4 years in Taiwan…she had never seen snow before. It started snowing after church so the whole way home, she kept telling Nicole …”this is my first time to see the snow”. She was so excited! [...]