I am in the midst of preaching a series on the Parable of the Sower. The study and preparation for these four lessons is challenging me at a very deep level, as I have been reminded that each of the four types of soil represents people who hear the Word…yes, even the bad soils heard the message! But as I was reflecting recently on the rocky soil, I was also challenged as a parent, and I want to share that challenge to all Christian parents. In Matthew’s account of the parable, that section reads this way: Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and…

Sports dominate our world. So much so that now they are even used to shape politics and moral and religious thinking. Recent demonstrations by athletes only remind us what a big role athletics play in our lives. It’s not that athletes are supposed to be our cultural heroes – it’s just that they have such a huge forum in which to be heard. And as with any advantage that human beings experience in life – the sporting arena has now become an agent by which society is influenced. I grew up eating, drinking, and living sports. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. All I wanted was a ball since I was old…

Those of you who know me know that my mother passed from this life in February of 2009. It was right after an epic ice storm that left so much damage in our area. The loss of my mother, even though I knew she was going to a better place, left a huge hole in my life and in my heart. You may be wondering about my mental state when you glance back at the title of this post. I hope you’ll bear with me as I explain. I also hope you will take the lesson and apply it to your life. I was blessed to be asked to teach five lessons for the…