July 14, 2026

Church, Leadership, Religion, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

John Beeson

Strange Questions for Your Future Pastor

So, you’re looking for a church.

I hope you’ve prayerfully considered why you’ve left your former church (I’ve written about the ten reasons to leave a church here). You’ve already watched a service online, read the church’s doctrinal statement, and visited the church. What comes next?

You will, of course, want to understand the church’s doctrine and affiliation. If you have kids, you will definitely ask, “Are the children’s and students’ ministries biblically grounded, safe, and engaging?” You might want to know about their outreach strategy.

What if I told you that while these issues are important, there might be a different set of questions

Strange Questions for Your Future Pastor

July 11, 2026

Christian Living, Faith, Parenting, Spiritual Growth

John Beeson

Destructive Play

Any parent knows that before a child learns to build, he learns to tear down. Our children are two years apart. I still remember our eldest, Camille, running into our room with tears when she was four years old. Her little brother, Soren, had just knocked down her latest block creation.

Psychologists describe this stage as destructive play. Before toddlers can construct something with intention, they are learning cause and effect, physics, spatial reasoning, and fine motor control. Every parent remembers the stage when their toddler begins throwing the spoon, fork, or bowl onto the floor, watching with fascination as gravity does its work.

July 9, 2026

Recommendations, Faith, Family, History, Leadership

John Beeson

This Week's Recommendations

Why so many of us claim to be ‘not very happy’: Jen Oshman says, “Herein lies the fundamental reason happiness feels out of reach: We tend to aim for the wrong kind of happiness. Most Americans aim for happiness, which, unbeknownst to them, can be shaken or taken.”
Three ways to lead your boss: Simple advice Eric Geiger draws from Nehemiah’s story, “If you want more credibility with your leader, don’t be the perpetually sad person, care about what your leader cares about, and be really clear.”

July 7, 2026

Family, Leadership, Spiritual Growth

John Beeson

How To Spiritually Lead Your Family

‍Our kids are 22 and 20. Our daughter, Camille, just graduated from college, and our son, Soren, is engaged and preparing for his wedding in December. This has been a season of reflection for Angel and I as parents.

I have experienced ebbs and flows of successes and failures as the spiritual leader of our family. By God’s grace, our kids are faithfully following Christ and vibrantly living out spiritual lives. Angel and I give God all the credit and glory for the ways in which we have been able to encourage Camille and Soren’s spiritual development;

July 4, 2026

Christian Living, Family, Forgiveness, Parenting, Science, Spiritual Growth

John Beeson

Remember Not

As we wrapped up our five-day jaunt in a cozy extended-stay just inside Scottsdale suburbia I was on the verge of mental and physical collapse, whereas the boys, as the Energizer Bunny proffered, just kept going and going and going. I couldn't keep up. In fact I didn't. Their enthusiasm met my exhaustion. I raised my voice at the boys, and in an instant, their elation turned to fear and shame.

Scientists argue that our brains have adopted a defense mechanism called the 'negativity bias' to help us avoid danger or avoid repeating past blunders.