This just in from our global online tribe: I worry all of the time and want to break that habit in 2020. I tried hard to stop in 2019 but I failed. What should I do? STOP HERE if you’re looking for a “Three-Step Hack” to break the worry habit. It does NOT exist.    If you’re really interested in breaking the grip WORRY has on your soul in 2020, you need to embrace the ONLY response that...

This just in from our global online tribe: During the Christmas season I hear the phrase “Salvation Has Come.” What does that mean exactly? Great question. Here’s the short answer:    The gospel of Christ is God’s power to SAVE everyone who believes. That is the thumbnail description of SALVATION. It is simple and at the same time, the most powerful force on planet earth.    Here’s...

God sent his son at Christmas–a GIFT of his love and grace—to forgive our past; bless our present; and ensure our eternity. It’s a gift that began on Christmas day but does not and must not end there. It’s a gift that keeps on giving every day of the year. It’s a gift that MUST be REGIFTED with custom door mats along with love and compassion.    Of course Christmas is joyful. But...

Christians are NOT called to keep the blessings we receive from God. And we are NOT the TERMINATION POINT of God’s grace in the Christian Give/Receive Cycle. The Give/Receive Cycle for Christians is not a CLOSED-LOOP track for us to run on with God and exclude everyone else.    It is the opposite—we are to be a GATEWAY TRANSFER STATION that keeps the Give/Receive Cycle alive and growing.    God...

The Christmas season is about something small—the BABY JESUS—becoming the most powerful force in history. And that makes me think about the importance of taking BABY STEPS to spiritual maturity—a difficult task in our one-click society that demands instant requests. Instant gratification. And, yes, instant SPIRITUAL MATURITY! Here’s the way I look at it…    The express elevator promises...

This just in from our global online tribe: “Christmas reminds me that I don’t understand God and the important parts of the Christian faith. What does that mean?” It means you are like every other Christian on the planet!    It does not come natural to trust God’s truths over our feelings.    I don’t understand artificial intelligence. I don’t understand brain surgery. And I don’t...

This just in from our global online tribe: “What does it mean to open your heart to the things of God that I keep hearing about during the Christmas season?” You are right—the Christmas season is a time when we hear a lot about hearts. Good hearts. Open hearts. Loving hearts. And HARDENED hearts.    I will focus here on the HARDENED HEART since your question is about how to “open your heart...

This just in from our global online tribe of 462,000 followers: “There are so many things to do in the Christmas season that I am wound up like the toy I just bought my son. How can I find peace?” This great question has been asked for decades. The most common answer looks like this: “Just Remember That Jesus Is The Reason For The Season.”    CORRECT! But that’s a partial answer.    Yes,...

Living with gratitude is NOT easy. Not even on Thanksgiving Day! Yep…being thankful is difficult, especially when the plot of our life’s movie dives into the dark. But EXPRESSING thankfulness is not the hard part. The challenge is to know WHY God commands us to show gratitude.    Thanksgiving week is a great time to think about this “REAL REASON” for gratitude. But not as a once-a-year...

We need to count our blessings every day of the year for life, right? OF COURSE! But if we’re not vigilant and paying very close attention, human nature will steer our focus away from BLESSINGS and move it toward WOUNDS. Once that happens, wounds and worries have a way of hijacking our thoughts and prevent us from “counting blessings.”    But when I think of “counting my blessings,” it conjures...