JOE LAGUARDIA: God will lead you down the right path if you trust Him
Trust God, he'll lead you to the right path. Proverbs states, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding" (3:5).
JOE LAGUARDIA: Discomfort of change necessary to grow closer with God
I am not a fan of change. I like my routine, and I like the predictable, boring and mundane.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Retiring St. Pius pastor Father John Kieran leaves legacy of integrity, devotion to community
Retiring St. Pius pastor Kieran leaves legacy of integrity, devotion. Psalm 133 joyfully declares, "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!"
JOE LAGUARDIA: We can show our devotion to God in many ways
Like so many churches in the South, our church still has a time of invitation after the sermon every Sunday.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Amidst stress of daily schedules, deadlines, remember that love is patient
Paul's first letter to the Corinthians informs us that love is patient (1 Cor. 13:4).
JOE LAGUARDIA: Sometimes we must put aside our 'rights' to minister to others
A few weeks ago when Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the youngest brother of two suspects, was captured for bombing the Boston Marathon, a public debate erupted about the type of rights he was afforded.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Pets provide comfort, encouragement not unlike a pastor
Pets provide comfort, encouragement not unlike a pastor.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Every person deserves some recognition of his life when he dies
Everyone's life deserves some recognition when it's ended. What seems like a boring list to us was very meaningful to the ancients. Even the lists of ancestral names in the New Testament -- like those found in the gospels recording Jesus' ancestry -- carried great meaning.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Christianity implores us to fight for social justice
This April marks the 50th anniversary of one of the best treatises written during the Civil Rights movement: Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from the Birmingham jail.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Easter allows us to clothe ourselves in the love of the Lord
Easter clothes us in the love of the Lord. Like most ministers, I look forward to Easter every year at church.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Be more than a fair-weather friend to Jesus
This weekend many churches will observe Palm Sunday and sing the classic hymn, "Glory, Laud, and Honor," penned by Theodulf of Orleans. It is a high-church, soaring hymn that lifts hearts heavenward and voices aloft.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Pastors must maintain delicate balance of leader, friend
Several months ago, an article by M. Craig Barnes in The Christian Century caused a stir when he asserted that it is impossible for pastors to befriend parishioners.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Cleaning a church can be prayerful, meditative experience
I am convinced that every pastor needs to do the custodial duties in his or her church for a few weeks.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Following Jesus' example of the putting the least first might save some marriages
Putting the least first like Jesus might save some marriages. One of the most controversial issues in church and culture is that of divorce.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Women play vital role in church leadership
Every February, Baptist Women in Ministry encourages churches to celebrate women ministers and invite women clergy to preach. It is a time to recognize that women and men alike, equal in partnership, are critical in spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Lent brings the promise of light at the end of the tunnel
Lent began this week in the life of the church. It is a time of preparation and penitence, a time for deep reflection in the depth of winter's cold.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Closing of Christian bookstore robs us of avenue to faith-building
For the last two weeks, I've spent a significant amount of time at the Cokesbury Christian bookstore in Decatur.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Paying attention is an active spiritual discipline
Paying attention is a spiritual discipline. When my wife, her family and I lived in South Florida, we teased my mother-in-law about the fact that she claimed to have seen "white goats" at the nearby on-ramp to Interstate 95.
JOE LAGUARDIA: For the sake of the Gospel, we should treat each other as brothers and sisters
In 1942, the Second World War was raging throughout Europe. During that time, the villagers of a little town of Le Chambone, France, decided to re-define who their neighbors were and save Jewish refugees from Nazi genocide.
JOE LAGUARDIA: When depression hits, remember God is always present
I've been writing columns on spiritual disciplines this month.
JOE LAGUARDIA: The new year offers a chance to confess regrets to God
The Bible assures us that, "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
JOE LAGUARDIA: Resolve to make compassion more widespread than condemnation in 2013
Last autumn, I held a respectful yet heated email and snail mail debate with a family member who saw the importance of taking a stand on certain divisive social issues relevant to the election season.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Only God knows when the end of the world will come
I hope that you're reading this. If so, that means that the end of the world didn't happen after all.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Lyrics of 'Away in a Manger' might need adjustments
Last Sunday, Trinity began its annual Christmas liturgy, which includes Christmas music and sermons related to Advent and Christmas.
JOE LAGUARDIA: God remains our source of empowerment, no matter who wins the election
At the writing of this column -- on the eve of the election -- I do not have any clue who will win the presidential race.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Be faithful to God and you will rise with Christ
Be faithful to God and you will rise with Jesus Christ.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Whether worship is traditional or contemporary, your relationship with God is most important
It seems that a church's worship style determines congregational attendance these days.
JOE LAGUARDIA: The church can be a source of support to breast cancer survivors
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. It is a good time for advocacy, support, education, and remembrances of survivors and victims of breast cancer.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Use talents to inspire new ways of seeing the world, God and one another
Aside from some of my favorite times during the Christian year, such as Pentecost and Advent, we here at my church practice another event that has become a favorite: Christival.
JOE LAGUARDIA: When explaining theology to children, keep it simple
In last week's column, I mentioned a question my daughter asked before her great-grandmother's funeral.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Funerals offer opportunities to share our grief with God
Several weeks ago I had the honor of officiating a memorial service for a dearly beloved friend and churchgoer.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Amish exemplify how simple living leaves more time for God
If you were to ask me what religious denomination is growing in the United States, I would have guessed the Pentecostals.
JOE LAGUARDIA: God works miracles through the most unlikely of people
There once was a guy named Jairus. He was a real faithful churchgoer and leader in his community.
JOE LAGUARDIA: The church should combat modern-day malaise with imaginative hope
When was the last time you hosted a tea party and invited a bunny, a doll, a witch, stuffed bears, and your younger brother?
JOE LAGUARDIA: Crisis can allow us to grow in our faith, mature in our understanding of God
Every now and then I find myself in the office listening to a person who has just passed through a crisis of faith.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Finding the right church takes time
Trying to find a new church can be a daunting, overwhelming, and exhausting task. Whether a person is new to the area or simply searching for a new place to worship, finding that "perfect" community takes time and prayer.
JOE LAGUARDIA: A child's education is part of God's plan
Rockdale readers: My guess is that not many young people from the middle and high school crowd read the newspaper, so I need to ask you a favor -- please pass this along to a young person nearest you.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Homeless, schools, local businesses, arts need our support too
Last week, many communities in the South saw droves of people turn out for Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Rather than seek revenge, make room for God to work inside of us
Throughout the school year, I order my life around the Christian calender. That calendar begins with Advent and ends with Holy Trinity Sunday.
JOE LAGUARDIA: In our weakness, we move beyond words and the world and look to God
Although parents get tired of hearing it, a child's cry is a miraculous way God helps us figure out what he or she wants.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Churches can be haunted by the ghostly baggage of past conflict
When I was trying to think of something patriotic to write about for the Fourth of July week, I couldn't think of anything specific.
JOE LAGUARDIA: God has a calling on us, even when our body is fragile with age
In the shadow of some recent deaths of important figures in Christendom, such as theologian John Hick and prisoner-turned-prison reformer Chuck Colson, some seasoned saints have been writing about what God has in store for those who are facing the second half of their life's ministries.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Take risks to further God's kingdom
For those who follow the Christian calendar, this day stands between Ascension Sunday (Acts 1:1-11) and Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21). It is a time of anticipation and change, a moment between the old life in Jerusalem and the new Commission to go to the ends of the earth.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Let God lead you out of the place of broken dreams
"Graveyard Shift: A Devotional in Three Acts"
JOE LAGUARDIA: Our search for God in the mundane makes life fulfilling
The Christian journey has its ups and downs, peaks and valleys.
JOE LAGUARDIA: There is much work left to be done in spreading the Gospel
This year marks the bicentennial anniversary of the commissioning of North America's first missionary, Adoniram Judson, and his wife, Abigail.
JOE LAGUARDIA: Time-tested tradition of Ash Wednesday reminds us we are human in need of God's grace
The other day I went into a local Christian bookstore and asked if they carried any children's trinkets for Ash Wednesday -- things like stickers and pencils and stuff.
JOE LAGUARDIA: When place blame, we deny forgiveness and the grief that leads to healing and hope
A wise pastor once told me to always have someone to blame. He told me that when I become pastor, always have a secretary to blame. Little did I know he told our secretary to always have a pastor to blame.. He was joking, of course. At least I think
JOE LAGUARDIA: Preachers should use the pulpit to deliver words of healing and hope, not harm
Some preachers put the "bully" in bully pulpit. All of us can tell at least one story of a preacher who said something that went over the line simply because he thought he could say almost anything from the pulpit.. In fact, the pulpit plays such a central role in
JOE LAGUARDIA: Jonah's story teaches us God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in love
My name is Jonah, but some people call me Jonah the Cranky. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I tell people that if they don't get right with God, I'll zap them with His wrath.Did I mention I'm a prophet? Been one my whole life. Once, in third grade
Prev Next