Tim Tebow

Timothy Richard Tebow described the Christian life well. The football icon said, “I’m not perfect. I’m never going to be. And that’s the great thing about living the Christian life and trying to live by faith, is you’re trying to get better every day. You’re trying to improve.”  In recovery, improvement is a great word.…

Recovery Bullies

No one likes to get picked on. I know I never did. Throughout the 7th grade, a bully made a habit of taking my lunch money on my walk to school. This went on for months, until I finally stood up to her. I’ve witnessed spiritual bullying, as well. And recovery bullying. I actually had…

The Right Crowd

“So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a gang of scoundrels gathered around him and followed him” (Judges 11:3). Aaron Rodgers, full-time football player (when he isn’t injured) and part-time philosopher, said, “Surround yourself with really good people. I think that’s an important thing, because the people you…

50 Years Ago

It happened 50 years ago today. It was like every other Sunday for my brother and me. We rode the church bus to College Park Baptist Church in southwest Houston. After the service, I asked our pastor, Dr. Cecil Sewell, if we could talk for a few minutes. He and his wife Sharon took me…

What God Requires

There are a lot of character traits that you should strive for. But God got specific with a few that rise above the rest. The prophet declared, “This is what the Lord requires: to act justly, to love, faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Let’s focus on that last one –…

A Profound Prayer

I pray this every morning before my feet hit the ground. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Lately, I have been focused on the second part of that prayer.…

Jesus Is Watching You

Before you act out again, ask yourself this question – What message will this send to others?  A man broke into a house late one night. The owner’s parrot said to him, “Jesus is watching you.” The burglar was undeterred. “What is Jesus going to do to stop me?” he asked the bird. As the…

How Will They Know?

Today, a total stranger initiated a conversation with me about Liberty University. Why did he do this? Because he saw that I was wearing my Liberty shirt, which I often do, as a proud alumnus. A few minutes later, I spoke to another stranger, this time because he was wearing a Houston Astros cap. Why?…

Matthew Perry

I admit that I should have offered this tribute three months ago.  In 1994, the 24-year-old actor began a ten-year run as a star of Friends, which paid him $1 million per episode and made him one of Hollywood’s most famous stars. But behind the scenes, addiction was ruining his life. At his lowest point,…

Georgia on My Mind

I am writing this from 30,000 feet. Beth and I are on a flight from Sarasota to Houston, where I am speaking at a men’s event. I always bring along some things to read on the plane. For this trip, I grabbed from my shelf a book called Georgia and the Carolinas. It is full…