I'm not a fan of goodbyes. Then again, who is? Yet, the older we get, the more "goodbyes" there are to say. Some are easier than others. The death of a loved one is drastically more grievous than when a friend moves away. But in both cases, and all in between, we can feel the pull of eternity on our hearts; we begin to yearn for the day when there are no more goodbyes to be said. In my day job lately, I've had to say goodbye to several coworkers. When you develop good connect

Depression is an unpleasant companion. If you've ever experienced it in any form, then you know what I mean. It likes to stand on your shoulder, shouting in your ear. It often tells you the truth, though many times it is half-truth, truth without context. As many times as I've gone through that valley, I wish I could say I've learned a lot of things, things that would be positive. But it's always an arduous season. It's always hard. It gives rise to questions, even the same q

Sometimes these shares can be very convicting. This is one such time. I hate to admit it, but I certainly can relate to all the forms of pride this article mentions. But conviction over my own failings doesn't mean I shouldn't share this excellent article from the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. "St. Augustine probes, 'Why art thou proud, O man? God, for thee, became low. Thou wouldst perhaps be ashamed to imitate a lowly man; at any rate, imitate the lowly God.

Today's share from Ligonier touches on, as is the theme for the week, the topic of depression and anxiety. In the midst of those times, it is incredibly difficult for us to remember that even those times of sadness are times to learn more of God's grace and care. And yet, it is also helpful for us to remember these things. While it is not a long article by any means, and the author seems to be referring to a book, it's still a helpful reminder that even these difficult times

Continuing the theme for the week, today I want to share this podcast from Fortis Institute on rejection/fear of man. I'm not going to admit that I deal with this personally, I wouldn't want you to think less of me. Facetiousness aside, it was a pretty good listen. Fear of man is a snare, as the Proverbs say (29:25), and is something I think a lot of us deal with. And, tying in to this weeks theme, can be a definite source of anxiety for many of us. If my memory serves me, a

In keeping with the topic of mental health and depression, here's another share from ACBC. This one is a conversation dealing with how we can approach loved ones who are depressed; how we, ordinary people, can help. It's a tough subject to be sure. But what we shouldn't do is continue wrongful stigmas about the problems of the soul. So, I hope this is a helpful read for you, especially if you know of someone who is going through a rough patch. Maybe God desires to work throug

June is, unbeknownst to me 'til now, Men's Mental Health Awareness month. While I'm not one to govern the calendar around more modern, man-made events, the underlying mental health problems people face (specifically men in this case) are a serious one, and the church should take note, in my opinion. More to the point for today's share from ACBC is suicide, and how the church ought to approach this difficult topic. A glance at the statistics shows that men are four times more

Well, sometimes it's good to do an extra share for the week, I suppose today is one of those days. This one will be from Gotquestions, and it is about Job's three friends, and what they got right, and what they got wrong. If you're unfamiliar with the story, Job is put through a series of severe trials. As he mourns, some of his friends come to offer comfort, or as it turns out, more trials. Instead of giving him any real help, they mostly tell him that his problems are a res

Martha and Mary show incredible insight in this chapter of John, don't they? Despite whatever doubt they may have shown (vss. 33, 40), they still understood that Jesus could save from death. When first speaking to Jesus, both sisters exclaim, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (vss. 21, 32), showing their understanding of who He was and what He could do. As we continue to draw application from the story of Lazarus, I wanted to look at our future hope

I certainly try to cover a lot of different topics on here, granted. But hopefully the theme becomes clear: our hope is in God. Depression is a debilitating situation, yet it can also be misunderstood greatly. Phrases like "get over it" or "have more faith" are responses that the weary pilgrim might hear along their way through the valley of deep depression. This can not only crush their spirit further, but also cause them to feel more isolated. Both of which are hurtful to t

In the account of Lazarus, we see many different stories come together. We see the disciples both questioning and coming alongside Jesus, both on His decision to wait and His journey to see Mary and Martha. We see the plight of Lazarus' sisters as they grieve the death of their brother. We even see the watching Jews and their leaders, some who would believe, and others who would never believe no matter what (John 11:45-46). In the midst of it all, however, we see Jesus, both

Over the past few months, our church's youth group has been studying the book of John. Recently, as we wrap up the school year, we have been going through the story of Lazarus. It's a fascinating story, showing us so much of the human condition; even more, it shows us the heart of Jesus. There are too many application points for just one blog post, or even several. But, there are a few I want to hone in on in this short series on Lazarus. And the first one is that Jesus loved

In my day job, I get the opportunity to work with some younger people, as well as families with children. On one hand, it can serve as a reminder that I am single with no kids of my own. But on the other hand, it allows me to invest in the future generation despite my familial situation. A friend of mine let me know that May is, apparently, a month dedicated to foster care awareness. I'm very thankful to be part of a church that is dedicated to serving our families and local

I think one of the easiest things to forget as a Christian is that the gospel is not something only for unbelievers to hear. Let me put it this way: Christians need to be reminded of the gospel. It's not a one-and-done. And so for today's share, I'm actually sharing a YouTube short from Fortis, a reminder of what the work of Christ has done for believers. We have been covered in the righteousness of Christ, and now have permanent access to the God of the universe because of i

Today's share comes from Got Questions; it's an article dealing with an interesting topic: the fear of man. It's a sin or struggle that, maybe, we have a harder time admitting we have a problem with. But, it's a problem for many of us just the same. Instead of spending time trying to explain it myself, instead I'll defer to the post, and hope that you find it a help and encouragement.