We live in an ocean of words. From things said to things written to things typed, words are constantly going into our eyes and ears. As such, sometimes we struggle to feel as if what we have to say can or will get noticed. When that happens, we can feel almost a pressure to make our language more exciting. We feel a need to use superlatives in order to make something seem bigger, better, or more interesting. To a point that is understandable, but at other times, it could be possible that our words undermine us and our faith. Take, for example, how we now so often describe a fun…

We rarely post on Fridays (unless we release a podcast…which…well…we don’t do often), but I wanted to share a rare Friday post today. The reason is to let you know about some other things in which I (Adam) am involved on a regular basis through Central that you may find encouraging. While we do other things online from Central (livestreaming services, “Central Focus” videos, and more), here are three that are fairly new that I hope you find encouraging. Central Sermons Podcast. While we have podcasted our sermons before, we have run into a lot of trouble with our feed in the past. So, recently, we relaunched our sermon podcast…

Several years ago, a former NFL coach became a meme when he was fuming about how many people get into trouble for things they text or share on social media. The meme was him very quickly and passionately saying, “Don’t press send!” My article today is a “backup” article. By that I mean this: I had one ready to publish (I try to have ideas done several weeks in advance in possible and then write the posts out a week or so ahead of time) and it was done except for the graphic. Then…I re-read it. While I actually think the article is true and the overall message is one…

I am not sure when this will be posted, but I believe that it will be relevant regardless of when that happens. At least I hope that is the case. I am typing these words on the day after many in our nation were shocked for the second time about the same subject. Some of us, including me, are old enough to have experienced both shocks.   The first shock happened on January 22, 1973 when the U. S. Supreme Court decision known as Row v. Wade sort of “came out of the blue.” As I remember it, prior to 1973, it was almost unthinkable that there would be such a thing as…

One of the struggles Christians in all times face is the balancing act of trying to live in a culture without just accepting anything and everything the culture throws our way. In our modern and hyper-connected world, one of those balancing acts is dealing with the media and how much it can overtake our morals sensibilities. From TV to internet to radio and beyond, we are inundated with entertainment. We can be amazed by athletic feats at all times, or we can listen to any song we want at any time. We can stream thousands of movies and TV shows for as long as we want. We can entertain ourselves nearly endlessly.…

Facebook was down earlier this week. For several hours on Monday, Facebook–along with other services they own such as Instagram and WhatsApp–were inaccessible. I thought about writing this article about how the world was still able to keep spinning despite those sites being down for a few hours, but their downtime also brought to mind something I have been thinking about–and praying about–quite a lot lately. One of the main features of social media can be both a blessing and a curse. One of the things we love about Facebook and similar outlets is the ability to share pictures and other personal things with our friends and family. Pictures of…

I’m old enough to remember when “being social” meant that a person enjoyed being around other people. People invited others into their homes, went to “social events,” and found other ways to share in the lives of one another – in person. It is sad to me that much of that has been replaced by what is known generally as “social media.” It is also very sad to me that the media being referred to is often something other than social.   I think that I may have an account on more than one of those social media platforms, but I’m one of those dinosaurs whose primary outlet is Facebook. I know that…