Those of us who make our living in full-time church ministry regularly lament that people are less committed today than they were in the past. It seems much harder to find people who will commit to teaching Sunday School (for more than a few months at a time), serve on a committee, lead a ministry…
Author: John C. Kwasny, Ph.D.
The Bible is for Boys Too!
Warning: The following post contains many broad generalizations on the subject of boyhood and girlhood. Please trust that the author knows that not ALL girls or ALL boys are exactly alike. He certainly realizes that there’s a spectrum of both masculinity and femininity–so not ALL boys enjoy blood, guts, hunting and football; nor do ALL…
In Honor of the National Spelling Bee
The Super Bowl. The BCS Championship. The World Series. March Madness. These are just a few of the best championships in all of sports. I enjoy them all, especially when my favorite team is not involved (that stress takes all the fun out of it). But I must confess that my favorite championship is the…
Put the “Bible School” Back into VBS
It’s that time of year again! Vacation Bible Schools will be starting up all over the country very soon. This summer will be my eighteenth VBS to coordinate, and I have to say, I love it more every year. It truly has become my favorite week of the ministry calendar. It’s what led me to…
Tragedies Should Break our Hearts
Soon after the Boston bombing and the massive explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant, I wrote about how Tragedies are Teachable Moments. Now we’ve witnessed the massive tornadoes striking the Midwest, especially in Moore, Oklahoma. To me, what makes this event even more devastating are the initial stories of children sitting in the hall of their…
It’s Time to Take Teenagers Seriously
The way we think about teenagers as well as our expectations for them over the last few decades has befuddled me for quite some time. When children are young, it seems like parents have a constant expectation for growth and maturity. We “push” our children to say their first words, to go from crawling to…
The Joy of Spiritual Archery
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Ps. 127:3-5) I have always loved Psalm 127:3. My children have definitely…
Mothers: Don’t Forsake Teaching Your Children
“My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.” (Proverbs 6:20) Here’s an impossible task for Mother’s Day: List all the things you have ever learned from your mother (in chronological order, of course). That would be one huge Mother’s Day Card! From the moment a child is born, there is a…
Are You Really Welcoming Children?
46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who…
It’s Not Political, It’s Biblical!
We now have the first active NBA player to publicly proclaim his homosexuality. The drumbeat is getting louder for a federal gay marriage law. Mr. Obama has become the first sitting American president to give a speech to Planned Parenthood, lauding it for its commitment to women’s rights, contraception, and abortion. The FDA lowers the…
Just Answer the Question!
Children ask questions. Lots of questions. And when you have lots of children, as in my case, the questions grow exponentially. In my most recent estimation, I believe I am asked a question by a child of mine every 2.7 seconds I’m around them (my wife clocks in at about one every 1.9 seconds). Now,…
The Problem of Spiritual Short-Term Memory Loss
We were just innocently waiting for one of our favorite TV shows to begin. I made the mistake of flipping the channel to a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. I should have known better. Those four words are almost as pleasing to my wife as Based on a True Story. And, if the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie is…
One Story Ministries 