It brings God great joy to bring to us into His family. God’s adoption of us is a rescue of every creative part of our mind, body and soul.

I think maturity is nothing more than realizing the need to be free as the Father defines freedom.

In Acts 4:13 we read about a WOW moment…

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

I have to admit to not seeing one episode of the HBO series Game of Thrones and I plead ignorant to the value of its viewing gratification. Although I have no desire to watch it, I find the title intriguing.

Except…it’s no game.

I am a failure… but, before you rush to my defense, hear me out.

There were times I choked under pressure and bailed big time when situations were tough. There were too many days when my heart vacated when it was needed most and just because my mind was filled with selfish thoughts, I chickened out.

My heart is torn and perplexed with difficult thoughts today. I wonder what would happen if George Zimmerman or Trayvon Martin's family decided to pay my small town church this coming Sunday. How could I minister to their hurts, fears and sorrow... to their sense of loss? Then a harder question comes to mind...

What if they both showed up?

I thought I try to encourage you with a few laughs today. Here is one of my famous Top Ten Lists...hopefully it will bring a chuckle or two to your face...which I pretty sure, needs one. BTW, I’m a pastor so I’m free to poke fun at myself!

You know a long sermon is coming when...

When I first became a dad 26 years ago, I never realized that I would become a dad of seven… or that God would use these wonderful people to change my life. So I came up with this list of promises to help me remember how important my fathering is to them. I called it…

Seven Promises from your Dad

In Exodus 17:1-7 the nation of Israel is in a desert, they were thirsty and in a very bad mood.

At the core of Israel’s grumbling about the lack of water was simple, they doubted His goodness.

Fatherhood is a challenge...to be the dad your kids need as they grow up is an exercise that will stretch us daily. Fathering has to be intentional… something done with purpose. So how do we blend the roles of coach, mentor, and role model into our relationships with our kids? It's not easy but here are 5 quick tips that may help you navigate that path.