“In the press of life, if there aren’t sufficient and appropriate escapes,” said Wayne Cordeiro, “we become susceptible to unsuitable ones.”  Here’s a word that gets little attention these days: rest.

In our over-accomplished, quick-paced society, we tend to devalue rest.  We suppose that rest is something that occurs later in the day, later in the season, later in life.  We work, play, entertain, and consistently push forward without proper down time.

Before you disregard this notion and write it off as an attempt to be lazy, allow me to remind you that God Himself rested.  (He established this precedent …

I am often asked the question, “How do you study the Bible?”  As a preacher, I approach the Word of God differently at different times.  For example, I read the Bible daily for my personal walk and development.  Then there are times I approach the text intentionally to prepare a sermon for the congregation.  Other times I read the Bible because my soul desperately needs an answer for a particular issue of life.  Sometimes I open the Bible as a pastor, other times as a father, and more times than I would like to confess, as a sinner.

No matter …

Suppose someone from 1914 had the ability to travel in time 100 years and sit in a modern worship service?  It’s safe to say they would be absolutely shocked by the spiritual climate and change in our churches.  Everything is different, radically different. The technology, the music, the facilities, the delivery style, and in some cases, even the message would be almost unrecognizable to someone from this era.

This is not to say that everything was perfect 100 years ago.  On the contrary, the church has, in every decade, been riddled with challenges and complex issues.  There has never been …

A family altar will alter your family.  One of the most important things you can do to secure the spiritual atmosphere in your home is establish a place of corporate prayer. For many families this is a difficult thing to accomplish.  Homework, ball practice, business trips, and extracurricular activities monopolize our time.  Unfortunately, some homes go weeks and months without praying together.  When constructing a family altar remember these five important suggestions:

1. Consistency

Inconsistency stumps our efforts and limits our growth.  Place this time together with your family as a top priority and stick to it.  Do it until …

The essence of evangelism is simply this: Ordinary people telling ordinary people about an extraordinary God. In my experience I have discovered that lost men never respond to a program, they only respond to people who are spiritually authentic and organically changed by the message they proclaim.

Oftentimes we make sharing the Gospel more difficult than it should be.  We live in a day and time when people think only trained theologians or snotty seminarians are the only ones who can articulate the faith.  Such a sentiment would not bode well with the early church.  The men who revolutionized the …