I don’t hate Father’s Day; it’s the Tuesday beforehand that I can’t stand. I drag myself to the grocery store, trudge to the card aisle, and stare at the never-ending wall of cards. There are dozens, hundreds of cards to sift through and I know that I will not find what I need the first few tries.
Formations 06.19.2022: Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
June 12, 2022 by
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” As a pastor, I said those words every time I baptized a new member of the Body of Christ.
Formations 07.26.2020: A Mother’s Love
July 19, 2020 by
Hosea 11 begins with God lamenting Israel’s rebelliousness. Like a wayward child, Israel has rejected seemingly everything that God has ever done for them.
The Spirituality of Fatherhood: Connection
August 21, 2019 by
I have vivid memories of October 31, 2013. I woke up with excitement because that afternoon we were debuting Tabernacle Baptist Church’s first Hallelujah HYPE Night.
The Spirituality of Fatherhood: Grace
July 10, 2019 by
A few years ago, my wife and I became the happy parents of two girls. Then a funny thing happened when we announced there was a third baby coming.
The Spirituality of Fatherhood: Prayer
July 3, 2019 by
When I enter the hospital one cold January morning after a frantic drive up a North Dallas freeway, I found my dad unresponsive due to complications from surgery.
The Spirituality of Fatherhood: Forgiveness
June 26, 2019 by
I have two children. My son is 14 and my daughter is 9. As much as I want to, I cannot recall all of details of the day I first became a father.
The Spirituality of Fatherhood: Gentleness
June 19, 2019 by
I picked up my three-day-old daughter from her bassinet, but I couldn’t make her stop screeching. I bounced, rocked, and swayed. Twenty squats later, I began to question my competency as a parent.
The Spirituality of Fatherhood: Jump
June 12, 2019 by
“What a little jerk!” is a publishable paraphrase of what I thought as I reread the story of young Jesus missing for three days in the temple while his parents frantically searched.
Formations 12.18.2016: A Glimpse of Holiness
December 11, 2016 by
Angels almost always appear on the biblical scene saying, “Don’t be afraid.” And they are indeed frightening creatures, at least in the book of Revelation and other apocalyptic writings.
Connections 12.18.2016: Father of the Forerunner
December 11, 2016 by
Two weeks ago, I encouraged us to put ourselves in Mary’s shoes—to truly feel empathy for her when she heard the news that was both devastating and life changing. Can we do some imagining about Zechariah, too?
Connections 04.24.2016: Rejoicing in the Found
April 17, 2016 by
The story of the prodigal son is one of the most confounding, ridiculous, and beautiful passages in the Bible. I can think of a few headlines that might apply: “Spoiled Rotten Kid Wastes Parents’ Money, Gets Rewarded.” “Father Accused of Enabling Ungrateful Son.”
Connections 03.06.2016: Powerful Faith
February 28, 2016 by
I’ve kept a prayer journal for years. Somewhere along the way, I started writing down the Jesus Prayer as the first line of my daily entry: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”