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I was expecting some emotion…but not like that.I’m thrilled for my daughter. I officiated her wedding last Sunday afternoon. She married a really great guy who loves Jesus as much as she does. But just seeing her standing in front of me, looking so beautiful, beaming with joy, it was more than I could handle. In my mind, I was seeing the baby we brought home from the hospital…then the toddling "daddy’s girl" climbing into my lap. I remembered dancing to “Butterfly Kisses” on

God did not create us or save us only as individuals, he made us to be relational beings with others. When Adam was created, God said, “It is not good that man should be alone.” And when it comes to our faith journey, including other people is a big deal. It was for every Bible character and every strong Christian I’ve ever known. Our spiritual lives are inspired by, supported by, and strengthened by others. So we encourage everyone at The Bridge to join a group. Here’s five

I grew up being bored at church. When I later became serious about my faith and began training for ministry, I vowed never to let that happen where I have something to do with it. Too may people stay away from church because too many churches are not worth going to.I tell our staff that it’s a sin to turn church into a boring experience. At The Bridge, we work hard to bring music that reflects the excitement and depth of the Gospel. Our teachers spend a lot of time preparing

Carlos met Nicole at a local hangout at the University of Calgary last week and they hit it off. He asked for her number and she gave it to him. But he wrote it down wrong, so when he tried to call her later that evening, the number was rejected. He was heartbroken. But the guy wouldn’t give up. He pulled up his school directory and emailed every Nicole he could find, 247 of them, in a mass email, with the subject line, “Nicole from last night.” In that email, he wrote, “If y

It grieves me. It angers me. I get a stomach ache every time I hear of another one.Sadly, it is also not new to me. The preacher who spoke the night I dedicated my life to full-time ministry later left his ministry due to infidelity. The pastor who married Linda and me was fired for having an emotional affair. The first pastor I served under as a young youth pastor committed adultery. The pastor who preceded me at this church later left the ministry because of an affair. I’ve

I made a decision almost three decades ago that has taken the difficulty out of a lot of other decisions since. I decided to marry Linda. Since that decision, most of my other decisions in and around the house are pretty well taken care of. I only need to ask myself, what would be better for our marriage?So, even though my desk may be cluttered at work, I’m neat, clean, and organized at home. Why? Because Linda doesn’t really care what my desk at work looks like, but she like

This headline got my attention, Resource Officer Used Taser to Wake Sleeping Student. I couldn’t believe a police officer assigned to protect students would actually tase one to wake him up. Then I read the whole story. The officer was called into a classroom where a teacher and several students had attempted to wake a student who had fallen asleep at his desk. The officer also attempted to arouse him and couldn't, so she took the cartridge out of her taser (disarming it) an

A man in Gallatin, Tennessee walked into a Walmart dressing room with a new pair of jeans. He took off his old worn and dirty jeans, and put on the new ones from off the rack. They fit good! So, he ripped off the tags and walked out…..all the way out of the store. Thinking he got away with it, he met up with his girlfriend in the parking lot and the two of them headed to the nearby Longhorn Steakhouse. After a good dinner, they slipped out of the restaurant without paying the

Many of us need deadlines to get things done. They serve as a target, and some people describe them as freeing, because they know they have to get it done by a certain time, and when that time is over, there is a sense of finality. It feels good to meet a deadline and once you meet it, it’s done.But not all deadlines can be planned precisely. I used to tell my kids to make sure the kitchen was clean, “before mom gets home.” Sometimes, she’d get home and they would be busily i

We all have some things to work on, me included. Some of you are in church this weekend for the first time in a long time because you know you have some things to work on. Others here can think of so many things that you need to work on, that you’ve given up trying. There are just too many.But what is that ONE thing? What’s that one thing that is holding you back? What is that one thing, that if you got the victory, a lot of other things would change as well? It’s the thing t

I was at an event seated behind a young family with an infant. I couldn’t help but notice the interaction between a dad and little boy. This baby was just old enough to begin smiling, and you could tell he was new at it. He stared at his father’s face just waiting to make eye contact and every time his father looked down, the corners of the infant’s mouth curved up. Over and over I saw that baby go from smiling to staring to smiling and staring again. When his father was look

Linda and I were grocery shopping while on vacation. There were three different moms shopping with their children that we heard throughout our time in the store. There was a lot of yelling, swearing, and threats. Now I know, grocery shopping with small children can be a challenge. But it was breaking my heart to hear these children spoken to they way they were. I thought, “No child should be talked to this way."Then on our way to our truck in the parking lot, we heard another