Latest Blog Posts
22
Jul
Nursing Home Questions
Nursing Home Questions There are many nursing home questions that are important to ask before putting a loved one into senior care. Depending on what you are seeking, there are some specific questions that can help everyone make an informed decision. Levels of Care These days there are a couple of different levels of care in nursing homes and retirement living facilities. While some people entering nursing homes need a considerable amount of help, others may remain fairly independent and active. Younger and healthier seniors will likely want to ask more questions regarding social activities and active lifestyles in senior … read more
22
Jul
Parenting a Special Needs Child
If you are a parent of a child with special needs, you undoubtedly have bigger challenges to overcome than you ever thought possible. There may be days where you feel all alone in your struggle. Maybe you’ve been so busy taking care of your child’s needs, in addition to the rest of your family, that you have not had the opportunity to seek encouragement from those who have trekked a similar road. Whether you’re raising a child with various physical, developmental or emotional challenges, we hope you’ll find comfort in this collection of stories from parents who are living the … read more
22
Jul
What It Means to Be Intimate
“Our souls crave intimacy”—Erwin Raphael McManus Sometimes singles will do anything just about anything to get close to someone they find interesting, intriguing or just plain irresistible. One single woman I know drives through Starbucks daily to get her dose of caffeine. One morning as she approached the speaker to order, she noticed that the man in the truck in front of her looked very attractive. She eyed him through his rear view mirror. Wow! Handsome! Hmmm. . . I wonder if he’s single. In a split second she made a plan. “Hi. Welcome to Starbucks. What can I get … read more
22
Jul
The Wrong Way to Share Your Faith
We all have friends who aren’t Christians. And we’ve probably all tried to “argue them in” at some point or another. If you’ve never tried this technique yourself, it’s probably because you’ve seen it done (poorly) in your life. You grew up hearing pastors and teachers dismissing atheists with pithy little statements or platitudes that don’t actually work when you meet a real atheist—especially if it’s someone you’re friends with. So how do you tell people about your faith? How do you share Christ with people who might have no desire or interest to hear about Him? How do you … read more
22
Jul
Lessons on Mentoring
Jimmy Scroggins is one of my favorite people in the world. He serves as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach, but I have known him many years before he became pastor of this great church. Indeed, I had a small role in mentoring Jimmy in his younger adult years. To be honest, my role in mentoring him was small compared to others. Kevin Ezell, Jimmy’s former pastor and boss, invested a lot more time in Jimmy than I did. But I take great joy that I had a small role in Jimmy’s life. As a man … read more
22
Jul
What Kind of Man Does God Use?
If we look at the life of Noah and examine how he responded to God, we can get a pretty good idea of the kind of man God is looking to use for His Kingdom purposes. I encourage you to first read Genesis 6 and then look at the following four characteristics of Noah. God uses men who are available. Throughout God’s Word, we see God calling, and then using ordinary people who were available. People like Noah, Moses, David, Paul and Peter. What is it that keeps men from choosing to be available for God? Fear? Lack of … read more
22
Jul
Think Steps
I’ll never forget the first time I heard Andy Stanley say those words, “Think steps…when it comes to helping your people grow.” As he unpacked the implications of those words, it became an “aha” moment for me. Though I haven’t always practiced it well (in fact, even as I am writing this, I’m taking a fresh look at my own church’s steps), I know thinking in steps is vital for my church community’s growth. For years I thought in terms of need—“what is our greatest need right now?” Then I created a system or program around that need. Thinking steps … read more
