At Christmas time, the line between the secular and sacred often becomes blurred in the minds of many Christians. This is especially true with music as Christmas carols and hymns are sung by both secular and Christian artists. A recent popular version of "Mary Did You Know" by a secular singing group has caused a stir and some controversy. Should it have? Does sin in the life of a performer negate the beauty of the performance?

After decades of the Civil Rights Movement, is America still as racist as it was? Do we still need to look at life through the lens of race? How does all of this fit into building the Kingdom?

These are perilous times. Segments of our society are perching on the edge of a knife with far too many people pushing hard to slice through and bring havoc and destruction while claiming to be seeking justice. We need a calmer voice to prevail.

As we enter this Thanksgiving season, we need to approach it with gratitude starting with the greatest gift we could have ever received.

In a dark world, we need far more than we have been seeking.  We need more than a God who gives us what we ask for or easy grace.  There is power we are overlooking that can only be found in the full counsel of God. Without it, we are in peril.

We all want God's blessings, right? We talk about all God's promises being "yes and amen." While that is true, what would it really mean to have all of the fount of blessings poured over us? It's very likely that the experience isn't what we would expect.

While we fight for #religiousfreedom, we can't lose sight of the real war. We can win one war but lose our real mission.

Our world is not as it once was. No longer can we take for granted the religious freedom we long enjoyed. Already eroded, it may soon be lost. We, the church, need to be on a war footing but we don't fight like some think we should.

We are in the fight of our lives. If we are to stand for our religious freedom, there are some luxuries we can no longer afford. We can't continue with business as usual.

Fighting for our religious freedom requires followers of Jesus to walk a fine line. We cannot compromise on the Gospel nor can we respond with hate. We must make war as the Word tells us we must not just in Houston but Idaho, New York, and across this nation. Victory and untold lives hang in the balance.