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Set a timer for 2 minutes and sit alone in silence. Did you try it? Of course you didn’t. Who has time for that? Plus, what would you even think about for 2 minutes? What if pain rushes to the surface? What if all your regrets come to mind? What if you’re forced to face your own emptiness? ...

We will do a lot of things to avoid the judgement and potential rejection of other humans. (For an example in the Bible, check out Exodus 32.) It often feels so much easier to avoid situations and conversations that would even make disapproval a possibility. But I think it goes deeper than that too. It’s not just a matter of what’s easier. Human beings have a deep crav...

When was the last time you were tempted to bow down and worship a carved wooden image? How about offering a sacrifice to a false god? Was it yesterday? Two weeks ago? Never? For Christians living in the U.S. in 2025, this temptation has most likely never crossed our minds. Yet the Scriptures are full of warnings and commands regarding the worship of idols. Here is what...

Facing yourself—the real you—is terrifying. In fact it’s so terrifying, few people ever do it. Belle Gibson rose to fame in 2012 as a self-proclaimed health guru who was curing her own brain cancer through healthy eating, positive thinking, and clean living. She took to Instagram, claiming a doctor diagnosed her with terminal brain cancer and gave her four months to ...

I don’t remember when I first encountered the stirring quote by A.W. Tozer, but it still gets me. He wrote: “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply” (Tozer, The Root of the Righteous). God blessed Jacob greatly. But Tozer was right, God first hurt him deeply. We find that story in Genesis 32. Jacob has received word tha...

One night, a narcissistic cheat grappled with God and was changed forever. He went from “a cheater” to “The Victor.” But he carried scars from that battle with him for the rest of his life....

Blue lights flashed in my rear view mirror as the officer approached my truck window. It was 2am on a cool April night in 1996. I was on my way home after a long day of fishing and partying with friends. Escaping didn’t enter my mind—at least not by driving away. I had another escape in mind. Charm. Charisma. Social capital....

Hurricane Milton is headed toward our beloved Central Florida cities. Even the most hopeful models show it shooting straight across the Peninsula over Volusia County. The majority of people who attend GraceLife Church could possibly experience the very center of that storm passing over their home. We’ve been here before. Discussions have spun regarding whether to evacuat...

Back to the Beginning: What is parenting? How does it work? And why is it so hard?...

I told many lies about Mr. Rogers when I was growing up. “You know he’s a Navy Seal with dozens of confirmed kills, right? Skull and crossbones tattoos cover his arm; that’s why he wears that Cardigan sweater. Mr. Rogers could destroy Rambo.” I didn’t make those stories up. I heard them. But I believed every one of them. And like any kid in grade school with a sc...