The Word of God is TRUTH. The word of the world is DECEPTION. That tenet impacts believers and unbelievers alike:    UNBELIEVERS: Unbelievers need to be told about God’s truth so they can REJECT the world’s lies.    BELIEVERS: Believers need to LIVE life on God’s sturdy foundation of TRUTH and not EXIST on the world’s slippery slope of LIES.    Belief is at the heart...

Intimacy with God is one of the most overlooked aspects of being a Christian. The word INTIMATE is mostly associated with the surface-based transactions we make with others. Most often it is an expression of love between people—flowers, cards, time to together, and the open sharing of feelings.    in·ti·mate / closely acquainted; familiar, close, cherished, faithful, devoted, a very close...

Our belief that God is in control—and we are not—can be a FRAGILE part of our faith walk. Our SAVING FAITH in Jesus may be sturdy and resistant to sway, but the depth of our belief can range from flimsy to brittle. This is where that pesky question comes into play: Do YOU believe with a lower-case b or a CAPITAL B?    The prophet Isaiah knew all about this fragility. He addressed it by predicting...

This just in from our global online tribe: “Thank you for this series on capital b belief. It has really deepened my belief. It’s the daily repetition of the message that drives home the point. I still struggle with doubt but it’s improving.”    This comment raises the importance of making the BELIEF—DOUBT transfer—the next step after we deepen our belief. The goal is to connect our deepening...

Having our faith get stuck in a RUT happens to most Christians at some point. The RUT does not have to be running off life’s road. In many cases, the RUT is simply falling into spiritual routines that are nothing more than transactions. You know…read the Bible some. Pray a little. Go to church occasionally. And living with a golden-rule-attitude is good enough.    It’s tempting to view spiritual...

A shallow FAITH ANCHOR–or worse, one that stays in the boat—makes it difficult to believe with a CAPITAL B that God is in control and we aren’t. And it produces two very real threats to our walk with God: 1) It makes it more difficult to fight through the challenges of life; and 2) It makes it more difficult to model Christ in a way that helps others reject Satan’s lies and endure the tests...

“You’ll Never Amount To Anything.”    You may not have heard those exact words spoken in that exact way, but I would guess all of us have heard that message in one form or another at some stage in our life. I certainly have. Both as a kid and later as an adult Christian falling prey to the dark voices pinging my inner ear and piercing my fragile heart.    Hearing that message,...

Everyone wants to be brave, right? Of course. ESPECIALLY Christians. We want to live with the bravery of Paul and Peter and, of course, JESUS. But the most common approach to that end is TRANSACTIONAL BRAVERY—summoning the strength to act brave in a specific way for a specific situation.    But BELIEVER BRAVERY comes from CAPITAL B Belief–believing 100% that God is in control and we...

God wants us to believe in him with a CAPITAL B and rest in him for his wisdom. REST in him for his guidance. REST in him for his security. But he also implores us to REST in his sweetness.    This “restful sweetness” was missing from the hearts of the professing Christians referenced in the book of Matthew:      “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy...

This just in from our global online tribe: How do I know if I have lower-case belief or CAPITAL B Belief?    Despite its simplicity, this is a question of profound significance and deep spiritual consequence. Why? Because its answer provides a way to monitor–on a daily basis–the depth of our belief in God.    The best place to start your search to determine if your belief...