My family and I live in a city in Arizona with a high Mormon population. We have many Mormon friends and neighbors who we love. They are kind-hearted people with strong moral convictions. It naturally raises a lot of questions…
Like most pastors, I learned to preach through trial by fire. It was either sink or swim—and I mostly sank. Bible college taught me a lot of theory but no practice. I was taught what to preach, but not how…
Honesty is the best policy. In his book The 5 Levels of Leadership, John Maxwell quotes a story from the great American author, Mark Twain. In a speech on the value of honesty, Mark Twain once told this story: “When…
I haven’t eaten in three days. I’ve been drinking water and that’s it. This is the longest I’ve fasted yet. My previous record was one day. It has required a lot of mental strength, but I’m surprised that it’s been…
A split-second decision changed my life. In my early 20’s, I was in the semi-finals of a softball tournament, sprinting towards third base. Someone yelled, “Slide!” So I did. My left foot hit the bag and my ankle shattered with…
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, photographer, Joel Meyerowitz, spent nine months at Ground Zero, documenting the recovery and the wreckage. On March 30, 2002, Joel was taking photos inside…
Have you ever judged someone because of their job or felt ashamed because your job wasn’t considered valuable enough? Earlier this month, Geoffrey Owens, a former actor on the Cosby Show, was seen bagging groceries at a Trader Joe’s. Someone…
Preaching is hard, and learning how to preach can be scary. Very few people are excited by the idea of standing before a crowd of people, with all eyes on them, to deliver a thirty-minute talk. Public speaking was always…
We all have a target we are aiming for. And if you work hard enough, long enough, there’s a good chance you’ll hit it. But I want to tell you a tale of caution. Will Mancini, in his book Church…