Grace for Daily Living

June 30, 2015 By Lindsey Austin

“Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.” ~ Abraham Lincoln I think we have this beautiful picture of grace and then condemn ourselves for being human. A few months ago Steve confessed to our pastor that he “lost it” with the kids…by raising his voice, losing his temper, etc. He literally wept at the altar, confessing his shortcomings to our pastor. He was broken and spilled... Read more

I am not the Judge nor the Jury. I am called to LOVE.

June 28, 2015 By Steve Austin

My heart is heavy as I sit down to write this article, which is sometimes the best time to write and sometimes the absolute worst. We’ll see what happens. In the past week, I have seen some of the most hateful, closed-minded, judgmental, ostracizing comments paint the landscape of social media, all in the name of Christianity. I have received all sorts of texts from friends, offering their very strong opinions and asking for mine. I have creatively responded in... Read more

Bandaids and Baby Skin

June 25, 2015 By Steve Austin

“If it’s not yours, don’t touch it!” Words I swore I’d never say. Funny how we have those thoughts as teenagers and on into young adult life, as the babies begin to arrive. It’s easy to think, “I’ll never say the things MY parents said…” but when it happens for the first time, you realize you are absolutely, totally and completely DOOMED. There’s no changing it, no praying it away, and no amount of parenting books or classes will change your... Read more

Seasons

June 22, 2015 By Steve Austin

I’m learning that life is truly all about seasons. I remember being a kid in the Assemblies of God church and hearing our minister of music talk candidly about going through a “dry spell” and I didn’t quite understand it at the time (I was 12 or 13). Oh, how things have changed in twenty years! Psalm 1 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take... Read more

The Message is in the Manure

July 24, 2014 By Steve Austin

I tell you, No; but unless you repent (change your mind for the better and heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), you will all likewise perish and be lost eternally. And He told them this parable: A certain man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it, but did not find [any]. So he said to the vinedresser, See here! For these three years I have come looking... Read more

The Value of Brokenness

July 18, 2014 By Guest Contributor

Today’s Guest Blogger is Justin Vess, a long-time friend of mine and former roommate. I’m honored to share his story here. When we speak of things broken, we naturally think of something that has lost its usefulness. We think, in a sense, of waste, regardless of its previous worth. Priceless vases, heirlooms, glassware, machinery; when its broken, we instinctively go to throw it away. Unless, of course, we can see the value in the broken things. Those who can are... Read more

Even Preacher's Kids Need Messy Grace

July 16, 2014 By Guest Contributor

I’m so honored to have Ethan Boggs as a guest blogger today. Portions of this story were originally published on Ethan’s blog as “A Dirty Jesus” and when I read it, I sent him a message that basically begged for him to tell me more! So here it is. Thank you, Ethan, from the bottom of my heart, for the willingness and the courage to tell your story. I grew up in the church where My dad was the pastor…that’s... Read more

Why It's Good to Wrestle with Your Spouse

July 9, 2014 By Steve Austin

Lindsey and I have been married for seven years now. Our marriage isn’t perfect, but God is growing us closer together than I ever imagined possible. But it hasn’t always been this way… Lindsey and I talked about this topic yesterday and had a HUGE heart-to-heart a couple of nights ago and I can’t help but tell you about it now, because the lesson I am learning is life-changing. It is good to wrestle! I never knew that before. I... Read more

Tajuan's story: I was exploited.

July 1, 2014 By Guest Contributor

As founder and executive director of The Wellhouse in Birmingham, Alabama, Tajuan McCarty is very familiar with the horrors of domestic sex trafficking. The organization has rescued over 120 women since it opened its doors in 2011. Not only does The Wellhouse provide a safe place to live, special emphasis is placed on the victims’ mental, emotional and spiritual recovery. Before she opened The Wellhouse, Tajuan spent several years working for the Alabama Department of Human Resources, gaining extensive experience in social... Read more

"Joel Osteen is a fraud!" So am I.

June 24, 2014 By Steve Austin

I read a story recently about a guy who had been in ministry nearly all of his life. At one instance, he gathered a major crowd (composed of fans and foes) to see him perform a great “miracle”. He was only a teenager at the time. Later in his life, as he had moved up in ministry and it seemed that God had “promoted him”, he was garnering all sorts of attention from not only his words, but also his... Read more