All roads on our faith walk seem to end up, eventually, at the intersection of FEAR and LOVE. So that’s where we are parked today as this month’s exploration of GOD’S LOVE comes to an end. We’re face-to-face with this truth: the world’s FEAR will never stop knocking on our door, but God’s LOVE will turn it away every time. A “simple” truth to embrace, but a difficult promise to live out. Here’s how...

One of the most misunderstood parts of being a Christian is God’s LOVING discipline. Early in my faith walk I hated it. Now I ask for it.    “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11    Consider this question and the choice it creates: Would...

A FLYWHEEL stores energy and tension to be released later. Think of a SPINNING TOY that is wound up to create and store power and momentum that send it whirling when released. Here’s the connection between FLYWHEELS and FAITH.    GOD’S LOVE is a FLYWHEEL in the heart of a believer that must be regularly charged so it can release energy when called upon. No charge, no energy. No energy, no...

We’re in the home stretch of this month’s focus on GOD’S LOVE and it’s time to focus on the most powerful picture painted of this in the Bible–AGAPE LOVE. Agape love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians:    “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps...

I’ve been sacked by a staph infection for the past week and that sent my mind into hyper “thinking mode” about lots of stuff. One prominent theme has been to take the focus off me and my pain and concentrate on OTHERS. So that’s what I have been doing. And since this blog is in a month-long focus on God’s LOVE, my thoughts quickly moved to how believers are called to love OTHERS.     ...

God made me to be me and you to be you. He LOVES me and you and everyone as we are, and who he would have us become.    That sets up this often-overlooked teaching from God: COMPARING ourselves to others is extremely dangerous.    “By the grace of God, I am what I am.” 1 Corinthians 15:10    That verse carries a sacred responsibility for me and you and everyone to live...

Yesterday was a very tough day for me. Battling intense pain from a staph infection, I prayed for strength and then leaned into the headwind and moved forward. That took all the DISCIPLINE I could muster. Later in the day while working with colleagues, the word DISCIPLINE was peeking through just about everything we discussed.    That full day of dancing with the word DISCIPLINE marinated...

Have you ever tried to FIGURE OUT the people bobbing in and out of your life? Of course. All of us spend considerable time trying to understand the parade of people we encounter. And while we’re working on that impossible task, we try to present ourselves in a certain light so people in our midst can FIGURE US OUT.    It’s one big dance with a lot of bad dancing as everyone tries—unsuccessfully,...

I’ve been setting and reaching goals for my entire adult life. There is NO DOUBT that GOALS have been a significant force and benefit for me—in every part of life–over many years. GOALS ARE GOOD. But do they deserve to be the sole driver of our activities in life, including our faith walk with Christ? NO.    Modern society has held up GOAL-SETTING as a core value for hundreds of years....

I woke up this morning thinking about how much POWER is packed into the word CHALLENGE when a Christian applies it to their walk with Jesus. Self-challenge. NOT group challenge. Internal, introspective challenge. NOT external, judgmental challenge.    I am thinking of CHALLENGE in the context of exposing pathways for spiritual growth, NOT imposing guilt that would cause our faith to regress....