Wednesday, October 26, 2011
How’s your hope? A high level of hope is one of the keys to a healthy and holy life. The loss of hope is a horrible thing. It leads to discouragement, defeat and despair. It makes our souls a breeding ground for all kinds of destructive thoughts and actions. One of the great themes of […]
Monday, October 24, 2011
“Nobody’s perfect!” It’s a phrase we often use and hear. It’s usually thrown out as quick cover for some personal mistake or failure. Without much remorse, and as a kind of justifiable excuse, we frequently lean on the plea that everybody makes mistakes. The fact is, everybody does make mistakes and “nobody’s perfect.” But this […]
Friday, October 21, 2011
How big is your heart? I have been told that a healthy human heart is about the size of a fist. Not all that big, considering the job it has to do and how hard it works! But what about your other “heart,” your spiritual heart? How big is it? It all depends on the […]
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Some things take time. On more than one occasion I’ve found myself salivating in front of our kitchen oven anxiously anticipating a slice of cake my wife was baking. My question to her usually is, “How much longer before it’s done?”, sometimes followed by, “Can I have a piece now?” She refuses to be moved […]
Monday, October 17, 2011
Do you have any regrets? Regret can be a horrible, haunting thing. Looking back on personal mistakes, failures, bad decisions, wasted opportunities, neglected friendships or wrecked relationships is unpleasant and painful. It’s so hurtful that most folks do all they can to avoid this kind of reflection. We usually do everything possible to silence any […]
Friday, October 7, 2011
It’s always exciting to see people reconnect with family and friends after a time away. Homecomings are great experiences for people who care about each other. Reunions with those we love are refreshing. The Bible tells a story about the joyous homecoming of a young man. It’s found in Luke 15. Jesus talked about a […]
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage, “It’s darkest before the dawn!” These words encourage us to hold on to hope when circumstances seem to be getting worse, when our challenges are the greatest, and when our situations are the most hopeless. It reminds us that, even at our lowest points we must not let […]
Monday, October 3, 2011
A while back I had an enlightening conversation with a friend — a fellow pastor — about a young man on his church staff. This young man had served with his pastor for several years. He was a great support and blessing to him and to the church, and has continued to be blessing. As […]
Monday, September 26, 2011
Life consists of choices. Everyday we make hundreds of decisions. Most of these are basic choices like what foods we’ll eat, what clothes we’ll wear, and a variety of other similar things. Some decisions are simple and somewhat insignificant, while others are serious, leading to important and long-lasting consequences. The quality of our decisions determines […]
Monday, September 19, 2011
In recent years much has been written on the subject of leadership. Go to the business section of any major bookstore and you’ll find shelves lined with books that tackle the topic. It’s the focus of thousands of seminars, workshops, and articles every year. Most corporations invest heavily in ongoing leadership training programs for their […]
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Have you ever had to team up on a problem to solve it? A few weeks ago I was reminded of the power of a team. I pulled out one of my favorite shirts to wear and discovered an ugly spot of unknown origin on the front. While I was momentarily disappointed, I thought, “No problem, […]
Friday, September 9, 2011
We often hear people talk about taking some part of their life to “another level.” This phrase describes experiencing significant events or making important changes that bring major improvements –– often exponential improvements –– to some part of our lives. The Bible is filled with stories of God taking people to new levels of living. There’s […]
Monday, September 5, 2011
Has your mind ever messed with you? Do you struggle with thoughts that take you to unhealthy, unhelpful or unholy places? All of us have experienced the pain and destructive consequences of a mental hijacking. There are times when distorted, twisted, polluted thinking takes us captive and gets us into trouble. Our minds, if unguarded, […]
Monday, August 29, 2011
Have you heard of “a fourth quarter comeback?” Football fans are familiar with the term. It describes how a team turns a seemingly obvious defeat into an astounding victory, at the last minute — in the final quarter of the game. What appeared to be an inevitable “L” became a surprising “W” for the team. […]
Monday, August 22, 2011
When was the last time you had to deal with a difficult, messy or broken situation? No one likes to deal with messes. No one enjoys straightening up, cleaning out and fixing things that are in horrible disorder and disrepair. The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel describes one of these messy moments, and God’s response to […]
Monday, August 15, 2011
There’s something exciting about new things. Whether it’s a new shirt, a new dress, new shoes, or whatever it might be, new things are great. There’s a sense of freshness about them. They make us feel a little better, at least temporarily. The Bible is filled with references to newness. Scripture describes God’s gifts of […]