It was thirst that brought them out of hiding. Creeping from the bush, back to their village in search of water. At the hottest point of the day, in the hottest season of the year, Richard dabs the sweat from his forehead and tells the story. And I can see… Read More
If your church is like mine you guys probably sing one kind of song. Everyone together. To God. Probably with instruments playing along. At our church a “solo” is rare. And a capella? Never. I started wondering why that is… So I did some learning. And now I have a… Read More
In April of 1963 Martin Luther King Jr was jailed in Birmingham for his participation in a “nonviolent direct action” – a peaceful protest. White clergy responded by drafting a letter to King asserting that he was an “outsider” meddling in affairs that were none of his business. The implication… Read More
In The High Price Of Materilism, researcher Tim Kasser compiles decades of research – his and others’ – to define “materialism”, make a case for what might cause it, and prove its negative impact on us, our families and whole societies. People whose values center around materialism – the accumulation… Read More
Tom Corley, author of Rich Habits, spent four years interviewing rich and poor Americans, another 18 months analyzing the resulting data and eventually boiled his findings down to a list of lifestyle differences between the two groups. 1. 70% of wealthy eat less than 300 junk food calories per day.… Read More
“Just do something,” she said to the crowd of young people. Sitting in the crowd, I prayed for self-control – enough to keep me from standing and shouting, “No!” Some somethings are inefficient. Others are ineffective. Some are even destructive. Please don’t just do something. “Just do something” sounds wonderful… Read More
After the concert Sunday night we drove around Southaven, Mississippi looking for a place to eat and watch some football. I find the best way to soak up after-performance adrenaline and settle my nerves before bed is to inhale a large serving of chips and queso – so the search… Read More
What do these men have in common? Antonio Bastardo Everth Cabrera Francisco Cervelli Nelson Cruz Fautino De Los Santos Sergio Escalona Fernando Martinez Jesus Montero Jordan Norberto Jhonny Peralta Cesar Puello Alex Rodriguez Jordany Valdespin All thirteen were suspended this week by Major League Baseball for using performance enhancing drugs.… Read More
“Contrary to popular belief, most mission trips and service projects do not: empower those being served, engender healthy cross-cultural relationships, improve quality of life, relieve poverty, change the lives of participants [or] increase support for long-term missions work.” -Robert Lupton in Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They… Read More
He balled up his fist like a gavel and pounded on the old wooden pulpit like an almighty judge. He listed the depravities of popular culture and swore they were signs of Christ’s imminent return. This is the narcissism I grew up in. MATTHEW 13:24-30 Jesus told them another parable:… Read More
Outside Jerusalem’s walls, in the Valley of Hinnom, children were sacrificed to honor a false god. Hundreds of years later the valley, called Gehenna by Greek speakers, was still a place of death. A city dump, some say, Gehenna burned day and night. When describing Hell, Jesus pointed over Jerusalem’s… Read More
Join us for a Twitter chat on June 20th at 8PM Central time by following the hashtag #compassionbloggers. We’ll be giving away lots of great prizes – autographed books from multiple Compassion bloggers and much more! We’ll also be answering your questions about Compassion Bloggers, Compassion International’s ministry in Nicaragua… Read More
Was it a dream or was it Satan himself actually standing at the foot of Martin Luther’s bed that night? Luther wasn’t sure. But there he stood – nightmare or in the flesh – holding a scroll. Unrolling it, Satan read his list aloud: every impatient snip, every lie told… Read More
EPHESIANS 2:1-5 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.… Read More
What’s the difference between depression and sadness? Here’s what every parent needs to know. Sadness Sadness is something a mentally healthy person should feel…when parents are fighting, money is tight, a grandparent dies, a girlfriend breaks up, a bully belittles, a “friend” gossips, failures pile on… Sane people feel sad.… Read More
Here’s the best stuff I’ve run across this week on-line. Did I miss something great? Tell me about and link to it in the comments! What Christians Need To Know About Mental Health First up, What Christians Need To Know About Mental Health from Ann Voskamp. As someone who’s been… Read More
I’ve spoken at both women’s conferences and men’s conferences on behalf of Compassion International. The women sponsor more children than the men. More than four times more (as a percentage of total attendance.) I’d like to turn more men into child sponsors the next time I have the opportunity. So… Read More
It’s been three years since the big depression episode I wrote about in the Beggar’s Fortune series. In those three years I’ve had very minor and fleeting brushes with depression. And I’ve learned a lot about what causes my depression and how to prevent and treat it without pharmaceuticals. What… Read More
Continuing to repost a series of essays written long ago about my experience with depression. Hope it helps those suffering now. Once upon a time, there was an evil king out to kill the prophet Elisha. Elisha woke up one morning to discover his city surrounded by a large number… Read More
Here’s part seven of the series on depression. Written long ago, I hope it helps someone struggling today. A few days before the depression began I was working on a book. Writing brings out insecurity in me like nothing else does. But on that day I was unusually unafraid of… Read More
How do we combat poverty in Peru? The story of one mother and her children released from poverty. View Post
Seven shows into a tour and already I don’t need God. By this time I know the crew, the artists, the musicians well enough that any trepidation that comes with forging new relationships has worn off. I don’t struggle to make conversation anymore, to find common ground. By this time… Read More
It’s the third most asked question on the road; right behind “How’d you meet your wife?” and “Do you have kids?” Today, in fact, someone found my blog by Googling “Shaun Groves salary” – which is probably the query of someone wondering how much money I make and not how… Read More
I’m in Tulsa tonight for the third stop of this tour I’m on with Anita Renfroe and Mark Schultz. Now that lunch is over I only have four hours before sound check so let’s see if I can fit a blog post in between straightening my hair and finishing that… Read More
Dan Cathy’s conversation with Ken Coleman about leadership (and gay marriage) made headlines. In the wake of his remarks, supporters of gay marriage took a stand by boycotting Dan’s company, Chick-fil-A. Some Christians took a stand by buying more chicken. Many bloggers took a stand.
And in my inbox…”Why haven’t you taken a stand on this yet?” View Post
Shaun Groves