Everyone eventually wakes up to a day when bad news comes. A diagnosis. A call in the night. A notice posted at work. A police officer at your door. In what feels like a very short life, I've already had several times like that. I bet you have too. Just…
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“Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials,” James tells us, “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” Ordinarily, this is counterintuitive. The testing of our faith tends to cause anxiety, fear, confusion, or irritation. What kind of trial can cause us joy? James goes on in…
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Ask any group of longtime believers this question: Is a bad thought the same thing as a bad action in God’s eyes? Most will say “yes.” If you want to get more specific, ask if God equates anger to murder. Again, I bet most will agree. For most of my…
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Journal Entry from February 15, 2012 I know that I haven't been feeling 100 percent in the past week, but I wasn't about to tell anyone just how "not great" I've been feeling. This type A person can't bear the thought of not being able to make round four…
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The word honor actually means "to esteem at the highest level" or "to add weight to." It comes from a time when people used to weigh shekels (coins) to determine their value. The heavier the coin, the more value it had. And so it is with honor – the more…
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There is a reason we can rejoice in the knowledge that Jesus has borne the punishment that was due us: forgiveness and healing go hand in hand. The Bible says that He who never broke a single law of God "...was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our…
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We had just come off a great win over Penn State in front of all their "whited-out" fans. It was an awesome feeling, but this week we had North Texas. People said this would be an easy game, that we could let off the gas a little bit, that we…
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In John 17, Jesus said, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that…
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Allow me to address post-abortive men. I am convinced the power to end abortion rests with you. Your stories, your pain, and your perspective are what is missing from the abortion dialogue in America. Your story, though painful, is also redemptive. If you have not yet come to grips with…
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For 32 years, my dad was principal at Harrison Street School, the only elementary school on the east side of Geneva, Illinois. Growing up, his children -- Mary Kay, Mark, Jay, and Sue -- often heard some version of this statement, "Oh, you must be related to Ken Payleitner, the…
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