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“I don’t smoke; I don’t chew; don’t hang out with folks who do.” This was a common saying while growing up—it describes my life before I was a Christian. I was raised in a Christian family, attended a conservative church, had friends who stayed out of trouble, and was known as a “goody-two-shoes”…

In a church building in the heart of Monrovia, Liberia, a small group of women gathered over the course of a few days to talk about their hopes and those of the other women in their neighborhoods. The phrase they repeated over and over was “become somebody.” They wanted to have the opportunity to…

On September 12, 2012, I made the longest walk of an addict’s life—the walk from the parking lot into my first 12-step recovery meeting. I was 44, and I had a golden calf residing in my heart—alcohol. I was an ordained pastor who knew that God had placed a special calling upon my life but never…

In 1985, when Shepherd Community Center first began to offer hope and support for people trapped in the cycle of poverty, Google didn’t exist—neither did Amazon nor Facebook. Much has changed in the past 35 years as Shepherd Community has learned, adapted, and grown in serving its neighbors on the…

“God is on the Move” is the name of a song, yes, but for my wife, Terri, and me, it became an anthem. As the lead pastor at Connect Church in a small community of Northern Oklahoma, I’m glad I can tell this story. On July 11, 1999, my wife and I moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma. We were both only a…

Beyond a sliding metal gate is a basketball court, converted from its former life as a driveway. Past the basketball hoops is a new play structure, and to the right of both is a two-story brick house surrounded by brightly painted walls. Joshua,* 18, helped paint a horse on one of the walls, and…

I would like to take a moment and introduce you to someone . . . me! The youngest of five children, I grew up in a Christian home with a father who was a minister. I was a good kid growing up but always felt drawn to push the envelope. I played sports and had the opportunity to play at the…

When it comes to personal stories of salvation, a backdrop of intercession is significant to the process of transformation. To intercede means to stand in the gap for someone else. Salvation history is made when people prayerfully stand in the gap for someone they love. In that regard, one could…

I grew up in Iowa and was called by God to ministry at the age of 10. This call was recognized and affirmed by a local pastor, and on July 2, 1972, I had the opportunity to preach my first-ever sermon at this pastor’s church. Later, I was ordained under his leadership when he became district…

I was the first child born into a church plant my parents helped start. This was back in the day when the members literally built the church themselves—my father ran all of the electrical work in the church building. One evening, my mother delivered dinner to the workers but ended the night at the…