What comes to mind when you think of a celebration? Each year millions of people become new followers of Jesus. We need to stop and a take a moment to celebrate that the movement of Jesus is spreading across the world!
Read MoreYou can love Jesus, receive him, and keep him to yourself. But if you love people, and if Jesus is really changing life on a daily basis, then you and I will tell others. Please note the difference between Jesus daily changing us, as compared to a “past-moment”.
Read MoreHave I moved beyond understanding I won’t, at times, be popular when I share Christ, to expecting it? Certainly, I want to be winsome, but at the end of the day, do people’s reactions control my witness?
Read MoreIs there something, some “freedom”, that indeed has boundaries, so that people should be saved from it, even if it does not affect anyone else?
Read MoreAs I ponder their performance, as I allow this pattern to percolate, is my purpose to serve God sufficient to silence those who proclaim my un-popularity? Is it sufficient to silence the voices in my head which cause me to be fearful?
Read MoreThe definition of words, and what we believe about them, impacts how we view the world. When you read about “magic” what is your reaction? How about when as a follower of Jesus, your situation is described as a battle?
Read MoreHow do you view your Christian mission? Do you see yourself as a loner—or as an extension of the Body? Are you a hand, foot, or eye connected to the other members, all moving in the direction of the Kingdom? And have you reached out to stay connected?
Read MoreIf I place confidence in myself, and only myself, then I am on the downward spiraling path of pride. Can I share with you? I struggle with pride. Perhaps you do, too. Few of us set out to be prideful, yet we often drift into its grip.
Read MoreI am suggesting that you and I can have a relationship with the omnipotent Creator and Sustainer of the universe, in a way similar to how we have relationships with human beings.
Read MoreIt seems to me that whether or not we share the Good News might just come down to what we believe will happen to people who do not know Jesus after they die. Do we, do you, do I, believe that if a person dies without knowing Jesus, they could spend eternity apart from God?
Read MoreIf we are honest with ourselves, we each need accountability. But how do we live a life that is fully accountable to God?
Read MoreWhen I find myself at odds with other believers, I work hard for unity, for oneness. Yet oneness does not have to mean we agree on everything. There are beliefs that are essential for all who claim to follow Jesus, and non-essentials.
Read MoreGod connects people who intentionally seek Him, He connects them through time and space. He connects them in person, He connects them through books, He connects them through technology. None of this is a coincidence. God is at work.
Read MoreWhen we pray for people to be healed, what is our motivation? Certainly it is to relieve suffering. But can it also be that people would come to know Jesus?
Read MoreCan people change? When that life is submitted to God, God can bring about change. In fact, in Philippians 1:6, God’s Word tells us that God will complete the work he began in us.
Read MoreTo follow Jesus we must make U-Turns. The word “repent” literally means to turnaround. Everyone’s natural tendency is to turn away from God; we must turn towards God. And just like with Saul, it requires God’s intervention. Please hear me. None of us comes to God on our own. It is God who initiates the call.
Read MoreFor me there is something about “sitting with the Word”. I read, I think about things going on in the world, and in my life…I mull over what God’s Word has to say to all of this…I pray. When I do that, I am simply putting my life “through” God’s Word.
Read MoreOvercoming wrong motivations and our ignorance is part of the process of following Jesus. I call this process, “chiseling”. God has to get out his hammer and chisel, and knock off pieces of my pride, ego, etc. He is not using sandpaper to smooth out a few rough spots, no, he is knocking off chunks.
Read MoreWho are your heroes? Who do you look to for inspiration? Who, even though you know they are full of flaws, you think, “If I could finish the way they finished, it would be amazing.” In this age of self-realization, I think we need to look back to our heroes.
Read MoreWhat moments, what sharp turns, have you gone through? As you look back on them, do you see God’s hand? Let me encourage you to reflect on them. Write them into the narrative of your story.
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