Articles
Take it further.
Practical, honest articles for real life: marriage and family, everyday faith, finding community, life’s big questions, and a follow-up to every Sunday message.
Community & BelongingThe Kind of Community Everyone Wishes They HadI think most people have a picture in their minds of the kind of community they’d love to experience. It’s a place where people know your name, notice when you’re missing, celebrate what’s good, and show up when life…
Sermon Follow-Up · Make It CountWhat Happens When God Doesn’t Do What You Hoped?I am terrible with directions. And when I say terrible, I mean there’s a pretty good chance I’ll use GPS to get home from somewhere I’ve been a hundred times. At this point, it’s probably less about needing directions…
Big QuestionsWhat Is the Trinity, and Why Does It Matter?The Trinity is one of those Christian beliefs that people often hear about without ever feeling like they fully understand it. Christians say God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then someone asks whether that means…Sermon Follow-Up · Make It CountAre You Actually Growing, or Just Getting Older?A number of years ago, when I was 27, I became the lead pastor of a church in Michigan. We had been preparing for a big launch Sunday, and I had spent a significant amount of time working on the message. I practiced it,…
Everyday FaithYou Don’t Need a Title to Make a DifferenceSomewhere along the way, we started confusing influence with position. We assume the people making the biggest difference are the ones with the most impressive titles, the largest platforms, or the most visible…Sermon Follow-Up · Make It CountWho Are You Really Living For?I think one of the most difficult things about being human is that we have an incredible ability to turn good things into things that slowly begin to control us. You can love your career, work incredibly hard, and…
Everyday FaithHow to Become More Generous Without Simply Having MoreI’ve noticed how easy it is to imagine that generosity belongs to a future version of ourselves. When I make more money, I’ll give more. When life slows down, I’ll volunteer. When the kids get older, I’ll have more time…
Sermon Follow-Up · RhythmWhat If You’re Building the Wrong Things?There’s something about adulthood that nobody really prepares you for. You eventually realize that there are certain responsibilities in life that you’re simply never going to finish. Take dishes, for example. You can…
Big QuestionsCan You Trust the Bible?The Bible is probably one of the most talked-about books in the world, and one of the least understood. Some people assume every word should be read exactly the same way. Others dismiss the entire collection because…Sermon Follow-Up · RhythmWhat Has Your Attention Has Your HeartOne of my favorite books is The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. I first read it in high school, and for whatever reason, it stuck with me. I’ve read it practically every year since. A few years ago, Emily…
Big QuestionsWhat Happens When You Get Baptized?If you’ve been around church for a while, you’ve probably seen someone get baptized. Maybe they stepped into a pool, someone said a few words, and then they went under the water and came back up while everyone…Sermon Follow-Up · RhythmWhat If God Wants to Interrupt Your Plans?When I was in high school, I worked at Hollywood Video. If you’re old enough to remember renting movies on VHS, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I loved movies, and working somewhere that allowed me to bring…
Community & BelongingWhy Making Friends as an Adult Is So Difficult, and What to Do About ItMaking friends as a kid can be surprisingly simple. You show up at the same place, spend enough time together, discover you both like something, and suddenly you’re friends. As an adult, it feels like you need to…Sermon Follow-Up · RhythmJust Because It’s Urgent Doesn’t Mean It’s ImportantEvery year before our kids head back to school, we have a tradition in our family. We gather together, pray over each of our children, and ask God to guide them through the coming school year. It’s one of my favorite…
Marriage & FamilyHow to Stop Giving Your Family Whatever Energy Is LeftIt’s possible to spend an entire day doing good things and still arrive home with nothing left for the people you love most. You answered the emails, solved the problems, made the decisions, helped the people who needed…Sermon Follow-Up · RhythmIs the Way You’re Living Keeping You From the Life You Want?There’s something about the beginning of a new school year that feels a little bit like New Year’s Day. We all talk about January being the time when we make resolutions and start fresh, but if you have kids, you know…
Marriage & FamilyWhat to Do When Your Child Starts Questioning GodAt some point, a child who has grown up hearing about Jesus may ask a question that catches you completely off guard. “How do we know God is real?” “Why didn’t God answer my prayer?” “What if the Bible is wrong?” You…
Sermon Follow-Up · Family MattersWhen Family Relationships Break Down, Is There a Way Back?There are certain relationships in our lives that we assume will always be there. We imagine that we’ll stay connected to our parents, that our siblings will remain part of our lives, and that the people who shared our…
Marriage & FamilyYour Marriage Needs More Than a Weekly Date NightI think date nights are great. Emily and I love opportunities to get away from the normal pace of life, have a conversation that doesn’t involve coordinating a dozen things, and enjoy being together. But I’ve also…Sermon Follow-Up · Family MattersWhat Do You Do When Your Family Isn’t What You Hoped It Would Be?I think almost everyone carries some version of what they believe family is supposed to look like. Maybe you imagined getting married, having children, building a home, and creating the kind of family you always wanted.…
Marriage & FamilyWhat Your Kids Really Need From YouIf you’re a parent, there is no shortage of people willing to tell you what your kids need. They need the right school, the right activities, the right opportunities, the right technology, and apparently a calendar that…Sermon Follow-Up · Family MattersThe Role You Play in Your Family Matters More Than You ThinkWhen I was growing up, I had a friend whose dad was one of those people you just wanted to be around. I remember spending the night at their house and watching the way he interacted with his family. He was engaged,…
Community & BelongingWhat If Your Table Had Room for One More Person?I love the kind of gathering where people feel comfortable enough to relax, laugh, and stay longer than they planned. Nobody is worried about saying exactly the right thing. Nobody has to prove they belong. There’s room…
Sermon Follow-Up · Judgment CallWhat Do You Do When Someone Gets You Completely Wrong?A few years ago, when we were getting ready to launch Nuvo, an article was written about our church. And like most things on the internet, the article ended up with a comment section. Which, as we all know, is where the…
Community & BelongingCan You Belong to a Church While You’re Still Figuring Out What You Believe?Walking into a church can feel strange when you’re not sure you believe what everyone else seems to believe. You may wonder whether you’re supposed to know the songs, understand the language, or agree with everything…Sermon Follow-Up · Judgment CallDid Jesus Really Tell Us Not to Judge People?I’ve always thought I would be a pretty calm person when it comes to watching my kids play sports. I’m generally laid back, and I don’t want to be the parent who’s losing his mind from the sidelines. And then someone…
Big QuestionsWho Is the Holy Spirit, and What Does He Actually Do?For a lot of people, the Holy Spirit is the part of Christianity they understand the least. They have some picture of God the Father. They’ve heard stories about Jesus. But when someone starts talking about the Holy…
Sermon Follow-Up · Grown-Up FaithWhy Do I Keep Doing the Things I Don’t Want to Do?I grew up in church, and there was a word I heard constantly as a kid that I don’t hear nearly as often in conversations among adults. Sin. When I was younger, sin was talked about all the time. It was usually connected…
Big QuestionsWho Is Jesus, and Why Does He Matter?If you ask ten people who Jesus was, you may get ten different answers. A great teacher. A religious leader. A moral example. Someone who challenged the powerful and cared for the overlooked. Those descriptions touch on…Sermon Follow-Up · Grown-Up FaithIs Your Faith Growing Up With You?There are a lot of things I believed as a kid that didn’t exactly hold up once I became an adult. For example, I used to believe you could eat pretty much whatever you wanted and feel great afterward. You could have…
Marriage & FamilyHow to Handle Conflict Without Damaging Your MarriageHave you ever gotten into an argument with your spouse and realized halfway through that you weren’t even discussing the original issue anymore? You started with something small, like a missed appointment or an…
Sermon Follow-Up · Relationship RulesYou Can Win the Argument and Still Lose the RelationshipI love baseball. And one of the things I love about sports is how clearly everything is defined. You play the game. You keep score. And at the end, somebody wins. It’s pretty straightforward. Now, if you’ve ever spent…
Marriage & FamilyFive Conversations Every Married Couple Needs to HaveSome couples can talk for an hour about what to watch on television and somehow go six months without talking about the things shaping their marriage. I get it. Life moves quickly. You have bills, work, family…Sermon Follow-Up · Relationship RulesAre You Responding to What Happened or What You Think Happened?Have you ever received a text message and immediately decided the person who sent it was upset with you? Maybe you asked someone a question, and their response was simply, “Okay.” That’s it. Four letters, a period, and…
Marriage & FamilyHow to Communicate With Your Teenager When They Don’t Want to TalkThere are few things more humbling than trying to have a meaningful conversation with a teenager who has absolutely no interest in participating. You ask how their day went. “Fine.” You ask what happened at school.…Sermon Follow-Up · Relationship RulesThe Words You Speak Are Building Something. What Is It?Think about how many words you encounter before you even leave your house in the morning. You wake up, grab your phone, check your notifications, scroll through a few things, read a text message, maybe respond to an…
Big QuestionsWhat Does It Actually Mean to Be Saved?If you’ve spent much time around church, you’ve probably heard someone talk about being “saved.” It’s one of those words Christians use so frequently that we sometimes forget it may sound confusing to everyone else.…
Sermon Follow-Up · ResolveWhat If the Freedom You Want Is Actually Keeping You Stuck?I’ve discovered something about myself over the years. I don’t particularly enjoy being told what to do. And I don’t just mean when someone tells me to do something I don’t want to do. Sometimes the frustrating part is…
Marriage & FamilyBuilding a Strong Family When Life Feels OverwhelmingSome seasons of family life feel like you’re doing nothing but moving people from one place to another. Somebody needs to be at practice. Somebody forgot a permission slip. There’s a school event, a work deadline, a…Sermon Follow-Up · ResolveWhat If the Life You Want Requires Doing Hard Things?When I was younger, I wanted to be a lot of different things. For a while, I was convinced I was going to play Major League Baseball. At another point, I thought I might become the next John Mayer. That particular dream…
Everyday FaithHow to Take a Step of Faith When You’re AfraidI like knowing how things are going to work out. I like plans, clear expectations, and the reassuring feeling that if I make the right decisions, I can predict the result. Unfortunately, life doesn’t cooperate with that…
Big QuestionsWhy Would a Good God Allow Suffering?This is one of the hardest questions people ask about God, and I don’t think it deserves a quick answer. It’s one thing to discuss suffering as an abstract idea. It’s another thing entirely when someone you love is…Sermon Follow-Up · ResolveWhat If Joy Is Possible Even When Life Is Hard?Can I tell you something? Whenever I hear someone start talking about joy, there’s a part of me that immediately wants to stop listening. Not because I don’t believe joy matters. I absolutely do. But because I’ve heard…
Marriage & FamilyHow to Apologize to Your Kids When You Get It WrongEvery parent has moments they’d love to do over. You lose your patience. You raise your voice. You make an assumption about what happened before you’ve heard the whole story. And about thirty seconds later, you realize…Sermon Follow-Up · ResolveYou Can’t Change What You Refuse to Take Responsibility ForI have this tendency to become incredibly interested in something for a relatively short period of time. A few years ago, it was chess. I decided I was going to learn everything I could about the game. I started…
Everyday FaithWhy Following Jesus Is Still the Best Way to LiveThere are a lot of people offering advice about how to build a good life. Some of it is genuinely helpful. You can find excellent guidance on finances, health, relationships, productivity, and just about anything else…Sermon Follow-Up · ResolveWhat Are You Building Your Life On?Every January, I do some version of the same thing. I look back at the previous year, think about what went well, identify what needs to change, and start making plans. And every year, I discover something interesting…