Christians trying to develop SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE are engaged in a complex and complicated WAR that pushes us to “TRY HARD” and “FIGHT HARD” to win. I get it. But we should reconsider that TRY-HARD, FIGHT HARD approach by looking at the Chinese General Sun Tzu who crushed his enemy WITHOUT fighting. Sounds Christ-like, doesn’t it?    It’s true that Christians trying to develop SPIRITUAL...

This month’s deep-dive into SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE sent me on a hunt for inspiration when I slipped downstairs in the dark to greet the new day’s blank canvas. Still trying to shake my grogginess, I landed at my five-foot high stack of hand-written journals and leafed through the coffee-stained pages from a time very early in my faith walk. One of the entries stopped me in my tracks–Plan A versus...

Why do millions of Christians around the world—INCLUDING ME–have trouble developing SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE to the level God commands?    “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness keeping yourself spiritually fit.” 1 Timothy 4:7    If you are expecting a long answer to that question, it’s not coming. The answer is complicated, but short. Here it is:    Most...

THIS JUST IN FROM OUR GLOBAL ONLINE TRIBE: I have been putting in a lot of effort lately to be spiritually disciplined and grow my faith, but it’s like I’m running in place and making absolutely no progress. Doesn’t God see my effort?    This is a powerful question that produces a thought-provoking and “scary” answer that should stop us in our tracks.    Effort does not earn points...

While coaxing my rested but creaky frame from its slumber this morning it hit me that today was the day to introduce a story that I have been waiting 25 years to write.    It’s a story about my DEAD faith and a commitment to develop SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE in my life and walk with God 25 years ago this month.    Please keep reading! A few paragraphs down from here you will see what...

The calendar’s turn to January has most of us turning to our life’s roadmap in search of “WHAT’S NEXT?” In search of a prescribed pathway. In search of a to-do list.    I get it! This past weekend while resting comfortably in the eastern flank of California’s Sierras, I was searching for that prescribed pathway, but NOTHING CAME. Empty. Zero.    I should NOT be surprised. ALL believers—including...

Even AFTER posting yesterday’s message–As soon as things are under control I will commit to SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE–my mind kept pushing out new thoughts like a Pez Dispenser. It wasn’t long before “As soon as things are under control” morphed into “NO! You Will NOT Get Around to It.”    That did not surprise me because I was an expert at “not getting around” to spiritual discipline....

This just in from our global online tribe: “I committed with you to increase my SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE in January, but I have already fallen behind. What can I do to get back on track?”    I’m glad this comment surfaced early in the month because I’ve been thinking that there are probably many people already struggling to stay committed to their commitment to have more SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE...

Our global online tribe has taught me that the word DISCIPLINE, all by itself, can be a BARRIER to spiritual growth. You know, messing with our mind as something that is extremely difficult to practice and, therefore, a barrier that can keep us from growing spiritually and doing the work God wants us to do.    That got me thinking this morning about anchoring our January 2022 focus on spiritual...

I woke up this morning wondering why my mood did NOT match the calendar’s fresh and exciting turn to a new year. And that got me wondering why our mind has a mind of its own. Me. You. Everybody.    My mind was set on taking today’s message in a very specific direction to continue the launch of our SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE theme for this first month of 2022. But that plan was quickly bent in...