Each day I am in Cambodia I become more aware of certain qualities in the Cambodian people that seem to be undeniable.  I wish you were here to experience it for yourself.  There is one quality in particular that seems to lie near the service of every Cambodian that I have encountered. (more…)

Highlights from our first day in Kong Pixay! What would you like to see from the next orphanage?

Pastor Tim and I have been on the go for the last 30 hours.  Our journey to the Foursquare Children of Promise orphanages in Cambodia began with approximately 20 hours of air travel and 14 hours of time zone change.  Thank God for great company!  Once we arrived in Cambodia around noon local time, our hosts, Jock and Sam picked us up at the airport and helped us get oriented to the city.  We had a great dinner at a local restaurant and are grateful to finally get to bed 37 hours after we left Seattle.

Here are a couple of my initial observations:

1. Cambodians are (more…)

Last weekend Pastor Tim preached a great message for Palm Sunday. I had the opportunity to visit each of our theater campus with my bride, Fawn. Here’s the recap:

What an amazing God we serve!  Lives are being changed and it’s all because of JESUS.  Shout out to all the amazing youth leaders in this city who are UNIFIED in the name of Jesus.

My brain never stops thinking about how the church can leverage technology to fulfill her mission (preach, teach, serve, expect).  Let’s face it, the Gutenberg Press was a GAME CHANGING piece of technology and there is NOTHING that has leveraged it more than the Bible.

The local church needs to be more like a kitchen than a buffet.  Some people want to come to church to get fed, I want them to come to church and get hungry!

• Hungry for the Word
• Hungry to love selflessly
• Hungry to serve with abandon
• Hungry to give generously
• Hungry for the supernatural work of God’s Spirit in and through their lives

Instead of people coming to expect a buffet of ministry (more…)

This is the season for sending kids back to school.  Whether they are off to Kindergarten or entering their final year in High School, parents need to have a plan for how they will lead their children this school year.  It seems natural to spend your last summer weeks school shopping and buying new clothes, but those activities pale in comparison to the importance of helping your kids get spiritually prepared for the change in environment they are about to face.

Consider these insights from Shawn Alyne Strannigan in her series of online articles, "Combating Cultural Influences".  Here's an excerpt,

When my children were toddlers, I installed childproof latches on all
the cabinets and drawers within their grasp to keep them from ingesting
dangerous substances. During the grade school years, I zealously
guarded the shows they watched…  Read the rest.

The worst decision any parent can make is to assume that "everything's gonna be OK".  Be faith-filled AND proactive to help your kids grow up to be passionate followers of Christ.  They need you, and by the grace of God you can raise kids that will be INFLUENCERS rather than influenced.