Blog – Page 3

How Do You Fix a Problem You’re Not Supposed to Talk About?

Have you ever been in a situation where someone has asked you for your 100% honest opinion, but you really don’t want to say? Whether it’s to preserve their feelings or preserve everyone from the awkward moment, it can be pretty uncomfortable. How do you tell them that their haircut isn’t flattering? Or that the new outfit does make their “you-know-what” look big? (Ladies, you know better than to ask your husbands that!) It’s a sticky position to be in, but as a good friend, you tell them no matter how awkward it becomes.

Do You Have the Courage Not to Be Silenced?

Today’s question is this: will you be silenced? An incredible pastor and theologian by the name of Erwin Lutzer—he was the pastor of Moody Bible Church in Chicago for 36 years—was speaking with me at a week-long retreat 7 or 8 years ago, and I had the opportunity one day to have lunch with him […]

The Optics of Headlines and Tweets—and Getting to the Truth

“If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” I think most of us have heard or been told that more than once in our lives. Sometimes, though, it’s much easier said than done, isn’t it?

Optics, Selfies, and Narcissism – A Harmful Combination That’s Easy to Fall For

Ahh…the good ol’ days. Times were simpler, people were kinder…days when social media wasn’t such an all-consuming part of our lives. Well, as much as we’d like to believe “things were better way back when,” the truth is, people have always been the same—just people. All of the ways movie stars obsess about wanting their name everywhere—even to the point of putting it on a star on the sidewalk of a dirty street in Hollywood? Yeah, that obsession has been done as far back as you can go. And the dictators who put their image everywhere? Yes, that’s been around since time began.

Is Free Speech Dying to Cancel Culture?

Cancel culture. We hear so much about it these days—I wrote a blog about it a few months ago—but did you know it actually goes back a little ways? When these cancel culture incidents first started happening years ago, you could usually shame the accusers back into whatever safe space they crawled out of. Their […]

Opposite Day – Turning the Table on Optics

Thirteen months before I was born, my mother gave birth to twins—one boy, one girl. We were all so close in age that Mom basically had triplets on her hands. It was my older brother, Mike the twin, who competed with me for almost everything. During my “Big Head Little Body” years, it never occurred […]

God’s Recipe for Happiness: You Might Just Be Surprised

Happiness—we all want it, strive for it, and sometimes do crazy things to get it. We even sing songs about it…you know, ”Don’t worry….be happy,” and “Because I'm happy…Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth,” just to mention two enormously popular ones.

Optics Overload – Can You Handle It?

I’m sure we have all seen an “Instagram influencer” at some point, always looking their best and crediting part of it to some new tea, amazing workout product, or the latest gizmo. Whenever you see what they have, doesn’t it make you want it too? Even just a little bit? Well, that’s their job, and they’re usually pretty good at it. Their job as an “influencer” is to influence their audience (AKA, you, me, your friend, maybe even your grandmother) that whatever they have, we need.

Whose Recipe for Happiness Do You Want to Cook Up?

Have you ever wondered what the key to happiness is? It’s a question I’ve been asked more than a few times in my years as a pastor. And as humans, we seem to always be searching for that happy place. Some believe it’s some Utopia here on earth. Others believe that we’ll only find true happiness when we get to Heaven. I say, let’s look to the Bible and see what God’s Word has to say about happiness.

The Optics of Dodgeball

Optics…it has to do with how we are seen…how we are perceived. Last Monday, I introduced you to optics, and today, I’d like to go a little deeper today by sharing two stories—first an amusing story about American President Woodrow Wilson, and then my personal story about dodgeball—and the optics around both. Some Optics Can’t […]

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

Included in the kit you’ll find:

5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

Make It the Best Year Devotional

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

Exclusive Private Virtual Event – “Narcissism and Breaking Its Hold”

Narcissism is at an all-time high. And it’s not just because we’ve become a society obsessed with how we look and making sure we’re #1. It’s because we’ve put ourselves at the center of our lives instead of God. Join Pastor Rob in this 45-minute private event, where he will discuss the challenges facing society today and how we can make powerful changes in our lives to break the self-centered hold and embrace a God-centered life.

Exclusive Live Webinar – “How to Help Your Teen Break Free of Social Media Addiction”

While it might not (yet) be considered a clinical addition, many in society can’t go 5 minutes without checking their phone to see how many likes they have for their latest post, or how many comments people have left. And our teens are especially susceptible. After all, they’ve been all but raised with a device in their hands. How do we help this next generation deal with the debilitating side effects social media can have on us? In this 90-minute webinar, Pastor Rob will discuss the issue and provide practical ways we can help our teens navigate these formative years in a positive way. There will also be a live Q & A session at the end. (A link to the recorded webinar will be provided after the live event.)

Category: Blog