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God Isn’t American

By Matt Ham on July 4, 2016 in America, Faith, Growth

Two hundred and forty years ago ink collided with paper to create one of the most important documents in the history of our world. On July 4, 1776, fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence, a proclamation of freedom from British oppression and an announcement of birth for the United States of America. When these men came together to establish our great country, they included a short, simple phrase which is the foundation for their entire argument. It is one of the best-known sentences in the English […]

What’s Your Praise-to-Criticism Ratio?

By Matt Ham on June 16, 2016 in Faith, Gratitude, Growth, Parenting

Bedtime at our house is a challenge. Putting four kids to bed is not for the faint of heart. Too often, my wife and I exchange short words without paying attention to how it affects an already chaotic situation. Our negative words breed negativity and our emotions pile up until they bubble over. As a sort-of social experiment, I’ve begun paying attention to the amount of criticism in my life. Whether it’s comments on Facebook or Twitter, the terrible tragedies […]

I Wrote One Song That I Never Shared With Anyone, Until Now

By Matt Ham on April 14, 2016 in Faith, Growth, Personal, Spiritual

Listen to this post on the latest episode of my podcast, Whole Life Matters, or read below. For future podcast episodes, you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play Music. Why Are You Running? When I was in college, I developed a love for playing the guitar. Looking back, I’d say that pushing through the pain of callouses served me well. My guitar became a refuge, and a handy resource to pay the bills when I was going […]

After My Grandmother Died, Guess What We Found in Her Bible

By Matt Ham on March 18, 2016 in Faith, Growth, Spiritual

Today would have been Grandma Ham’s 90th birthday. For those who didn’t have the privilege of knowing her, she was four feet ten inches of well-permed, God-fearing delight. After she passed away, my mom found my grandmother’s Bibles while cleaning out her home. What surprised us all is what we found inside. To my grandmother, the Bible wasn’t an old dusty book full of do’s and don’ts, it was a weapon—the living Word of God, an active asset in an […]

You Don’t Need Mark Zuckerberg’s Money to Make 2016 Your Best Year Ever

By Matt Ham on December 29, 2015 in Business, Generosity, Growth, Humility, Leadership

A clever hoax, supposedly validated by Good Morning America, circulated on Facebook recently: Mark Zuckerberg, the thirty-one-year old billionaire founder of the social media giant was giving away a reported $45 billion dollars to users who copied and pasted a status sharing the news. Hundreds of thousands flocked to see if it was true. It wasn’t. But humor me (and yourself) for a minute. Suppose it was true. Suppose you were the beneficiary of a million-dollar windfall. How would your life […]

Three Things Star Wars Can Teach Us About Christianity

By Matt Ham on December 14, 2015 in Growth, Personal, Spiritual

It’s not at all surprising that Disney chose to release the seventh installment of the Star Wars series, The Force Awakens, during the Christmas season. Sure this time of year is great for movie-goers, but I think the Christian narrative parallels the epic science fiction series more than you might imagine. So this weekend, as millions flock to theaters, here are a few similarities to consider. The Force A long time ago, in a village far, far away… When George Lucas originally […]

Starbucks and the Holy Spirit

By Matt Ham on November 24, 2015 in Faith, Growth, Personal, Spiritual

With the constant flood of negativity in our culture, it seems like our world is getting worse and worse. But I want to share a story with you to give you hope in both the power of the human spirit and God’s presence. *** I was in Charlotte, North Carolina getting ready to watch the Carolina Panthers take on the Washington Redskins. Early Sunday morning before the game, I was driving to meet my parents at their hotel when I had the urge to […]

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