In a recent interview, Pope Francis said that the Roman Catholic Church had become “obsessed” with abortion, gay marriage, and contraception, so he has chosen not to talk about those issues in the first months of his papacy. He also criticized the Church for putting dogma before love and for prioritizing moral doctrines over serving…
Tag: Bible
Just Say No…to Say Yes
In 1982, First Lady Nancy Reagan introduced the slogan “Just Say No” in an effort to combat the rise of illegal drug use among youth. Growing up in that era, I’m not sure how much it curbed the drug use of my fellow high schoolers, but it was certainly a good message. Unfortunately, we have…
It’s Just Too Expensive to Have Kids
According to a recent U.S. government report, the average cost of raising a child born in 2012 to age 18 is now $241,080 ($301,970 if you adjust for inflation). And believe it or not, this projection doesn’t include money for college! This is a 2.6% increase from the previous year. The study also showed that…
Grieving Forbidden
We are edging ever so close to living in a world where grieving is forbidden–if the modern mental health establishment has anything to say about it. While that may sound wildly paranoid to you, consider the historic changes to the DSM (the diagnostic manual for mental health professionals) reviewed in an article in USA Today…
Just a Piece of the Bigger Kingdom Puzzle
It was a joy to travel to Huntsville, Alabama with my wife this past weekend to conduct a teacher training at Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCA). They are one of our latest churches to fully implement OSM’s Sunday School curriculum. It was great to be able to encourage them in the Biblical foundations of the Christian…
On Rainbow Flags and Boy Scouts
As a symbol of gay and lesbian pride, the rainbow flag has been around a long time–actually since 1978. But your children may ask you about it more often as of late, since it is showing up in all sorts of places–and is rumored to be making appearances in children’s television shows and movies. So…
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…
One Story Ministries 