I had coffee at Starbucks recently with one of my dearest friends and his lovely wife to discuss life and the fact that we had all been taken advantage of recently by people we had trusted. It was very painful and a “spiritual challenge” to keep our anger from boiling over.    We prayed to God immediately for the strength to say no to ANGER and yes to LOVE. We prayed for the wisdom and patience...

Yes! The Creator of the Universe, the one who cradles our life in his strong and loving hands, is begging us to ask him for help and guidance. Forgiveness and grace. Hope and peace.    Why? Because he cares deeply about us and wants us to trust him for everything and then glorify his deity.    “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7    Prayer...

This just in from our global online tribe: Recently when a crisis hit my small group of Christian friends, I made this comment: “ALL WE CAN DO NOW IS PRAY.” The reaction from all of them was that I was minimizing prayer. Why did they say that?    Let me start with the ending and then work back. We need to change the headline…FROM: “All we can do now is pray” TO: “What we must do is...

I am challenging myself this month to pray more. To pray with more DEPENDENCY on God. To pray EXPECTANTLY for his answers. To pray MORE to grow my faith and transform my character in Christ. Will YOU join me in this emphasis on PRAYER and those goals?    What’s at stake? Whether or not we connect with, and download, the heart and mind of God so we can become more like Jesus.   ...

Despite what bumper stickers say, God is NOT a Christian’s Co-Pilot. He is (must be) our PILOT. We are not co-equal to God in any way. God is never second. He must ALWAYS be first.    If we say God is our Co-Pilot, we might as well say WE ARE IN CONTROL and that we’ll summon his help if things “really get out of hand.”    The only positive I can take out of the “God is my Co-Pilot”...

This just in from our global online tribe: I have trouble staying calm when I’m angry or when someone wrongs me or lets me down. I pray about it and ask for restraint but still struggle. What am I missing?    Remaining cool in the heat of life’s battle is one tough task for every believer on planet earth. It’s a challenge that comes in many forms and degrees. Some are pedestrian “that’s...

This just in from our global online tribe: “I am trying to listen to God, especially this month during your series on listening to God, but still feel empty because my dream of having meaningful relationships, a good career, and financial security have not materialized.”    I am very sorry to hear about this person’s piercing pain and have pledged to pray for him. What follows here are my...

This just in from our global online tribe: I have a quiet time with God every day, but I am lost. I pray every day, but I am lost. I go to church every Sunday, but I am lost. What am I doing wrong? HELP!    NOT LISTENING to what God says is surely missing in this scenario that has her feeling empty even though she is spending time with the Lord every day.    But it does NOT, by...

UNMET EXPECTATIONS are the pick-pocket thief we all fear in a massing crowd. You have been a victim of his sneaky sleight of hand, right? Rejection, loss, injustice, and grief all populate a list that has no end of unmet expectations.    The common thread running through that unending list of unmet expectations is DISAPPOINTMENT. Of course, we’re disappointed! We did not get what we wanted...

The world has been talking about SELF-LOVE for a very long time. For Christians, the most recent focus has been on loving YOURSELF first, and then you will be able to love OTHERS. But there is a flaw embedded in that thinking. To clear it up, I stopped talking about it and went to God’s Word to LISTEN for his take on it. I learned that “Love yourself first, and then you will love others,” is a perverted...