A Prayer For When The Holidays Are Hard. . .
This week, many of us will lift our voices as we do each Christmas to sing these words from Joy To The World: “No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings…
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Today’s World Cup, Football, And The Demon of Sport. . .
What was on your mind as you went to bed last night? Truth be told, my mind was visited and revisited by the anticipation that on this Lord’s Day, my (yes, I claim them as my own) Philadelphia Eagles kick…
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Teens, Gambling, and the Bible. . .
I can’t even begin to count how many there are. I’m sitting there watching a football game. . . or a baseball game. . . or a basketball game. . . you name it. . . and I’m invited over-and-over…
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We Always Marry The Wrong Person. . .
Several years ago I ran across a little interview with Glenn Stanton on “The Science of Shacking Up.” Stanton’s the author of The Ring Makes All The Difference: The Hidden Consequences of Cohabitation and the Strong Benefits of Marriage, a…
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A New Youth Ministry Training Conference! . . .
It’s like Christmas morning around here! We’re excited! We just launched the website and opened registration for a brand-new youth ministry training conference. . . The Northeast Youth Ministry Summit. . . that will be bring together a strong team…
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The Balenciaga Ad Scandal and Our Children’s Safety. . .
This morning I’ve been spending time getting caught up on the controversy unfolding around the winter ad campaign for the Balenciaga fashion brand. If you’re not familiar with what’s happening, you can read a short summary here. In a nutshell,…
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Thanksgiving. . . Put The Devices Away. . .
While watching a scene from the iconic teen film The Breakfast Club a few years ago, I suddenly realized just how much our world had changed. It dawned on me that not one of the movie’s five main teenage characters ever…
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NOVEMBER 22ND. . . KENNEDY, HUXLEY, & LEWIS IN 1963. . . AND A GOOD WORD FROM CRYSTAL KIRGESS NOW. . .
When I woke up this morning I looked at the date and immediately my mind rewound and settled on this day in 1963. November 22 is always a significant day for me. . . . sparking thoughts of the past…
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Youth Ministry In A Celebrity-Seeking World. . .
A car ride with someone I don’t really know is one of my favorite things. I realize that may sound a little bit creepy and it goes against one of the most basic of childhood warnings issued by parents (“Don’t…
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A Short Word On Battling Pornography. . .
“We have a generation of young people for whom the call to repentance must include a call to turn from porn.” Those are some terribly true words from Tim Chester in the Introduction to his challenging and helpful book, Closing…
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Clearing Up Sex and Gender Confusion: A Youth Worker Training Opportunity. . .
Youthworkers. . . are you still looking for a Fall training event? We have a very limited amount of spaces still open for this focused, practical, and collaborative training experience. Duffy Robbins and myself invite you to join us and…
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Dear Parents. . . Are You Putting Faith First? . . .
We’re almost two months into the school year and if your family is like most, your kids are involved in all kinds of extra-curricular activities that keep you running from here, to there, to everywhere. If we’re not careful, the…
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