Just keep casting your line
I’m not what you would consider a man of the outdoors, but I did my fair share of fishing during my teen years.
I’m not what you would consider a man of the outdoors, but I did my fair share of fishing during my teen years.
Adobe Stock Photo. Do not publish.
The 20th century political anarchist Edward Abbey loved the desert and once observed, “What draws us into the desert is the search for something intimate in the remote.” Abbey was not the only person who discovered intimacy in the solitude of the desert. The same could be said for some of the most influential people of prayer mentioned in Scripture. God originally created man in a garden, but He frequently recreates them in a desert.
a golfer blasts his ball from the sand trap
I have tried really hard to like golf, but I prefer hobbies that do not tempt me to say or do things I will regret later. One thing I do like about golf is the mulligan—a do-over stroke that doesn’t count. They make those terrible shots disappear into thin air.
Adobe Stock Photo. Do not publish.
For many pastors, it’s difficult to not take it personally when people leave their church. But according to a recent Lifeway Research study, most churchgoers aren’t leaving a church because they have a personal complaint against the pastor. During the research screening process, it was determined only 53% of U.S. regular churchgoers say they have attended more than one church as an adult. Among these, most say their church change was impacted by a residential move (60%). Still, 40% of church changes were driven by something other than a residential move.
The calendar has turned over, and we are now in the thick of a political season in a presidential election year. Pastors around the country understand the gravity of this moment and want to lead their people well. So, what does that look like?
It’s that time of year when people make goals. I’m of the mind that a few small goals at the beginning of the year are wiser than a list of seventeen milestones you’ll forget by February.
This year, across America, families large and small will gather and celebrate America’s 247th birthday. As we break out the fireworks (legally, of course), crank up the Lee Greenwood, and light the grill, we should reflect on how Christians should feel about this nation.
Earlier this week, Target removed provocative Pride Month products from its stores after facing a significant backlash and losing a reported $9 billion as shares dropped by 12.6 percent.
President Biden’s visit to the border this week highlights our nation’s broken and outdated immigration system. As the New York Times reported, in the 12 months leading up to October 2022, the Border Patrol encountered 1.7 million migrants trying to cross illegally, the highest number since 1960. Its reform should be a priority on both sides of the aisle. We need authentic leadership, the kind that seeks solutions over soundbites, which has been vanishingly rare in our nation’s capital these days.