We’re off and running into 2023 and my mind is racing on topics I want to tackle quickly. Here are the themes with the most resonance: 1) WHINING CHRISTIANS; and 2) AUTO-PILOT CHRISTIANS. I need to pray a bit more on the whining topic and smooth its rough edges to be sure it comes off as God would want it to be presented. So stay tuned for that next week. In the meantime, let’s tackle AUTO-PILOT FAITH...

     Tired and spent, 2022 is just about to leave town and pave the way for 2023 to appear with its fresh face. That shrill siren is warning us that time for reflecting on the past 12 months is quickly vanishing like a child’s balloon escaping into the hungry sky. That’s why we’re conducting this month-long, year-end review of 2022 and taking our FAITH INVENTORY. For today, it’s another question begging...

I want you to consider a counter intuitive thought today–what would happen if your goals for 2023 focused on SURRENDER over SUCCESS?      HERE’S WHY: God wants surrender over success. Obedience over excellence. Trust over triumph.      The pursuit of excellence tortures the soul. Surrender frees it.        Pursuing excellence as a way to be PERFECT is wrong. Christ-like perfection is impossible...

Try to picture being arrogant and thankful at the same time. It’s IMPOSSIBLE. No wonder God commands us to be thankful (Colossians 3:16–17). And since it’s Thanksgiving week, there is no better time to acknowledge that command.      Let’s start with this powerful truth: THANKFULNESS pairs humility and joy to knock out selfishness.      But getting that done is anything but automatic. Why is thankfulness...

His transformation was as radical as it gets: He went from being a Christian-hater to becoming one of Christianity’s greatest voices for God.        “Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.” Acts 9:18        The one who was dead in sin became alive to righteousness. The one who was blind could now see clearly. The...

I was falling prey to “Satan’s Veil” and knew I had only seconds to choose! The enemy’s number-one goal is to separate us from the source of life—Jesus Christ—and he uses three tactics to veil our judgment and accomplish his wicked schemes: A strained relationship with our Savior. A clouded mind. A heart riddled with doubt and indecision.      A compromise here, a shortcut there, and the patterns...

Suddenly, Scripture began to stab at my heart, warning me to make a change … FAST!   Paul wrote some stinging words to a compromising early church, yet I couldn’t help thinking he was talking directly to me:   “Don’t be naïve. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of...

“Be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18   In ALL circumstances, really? How can we be thankful and full of gratitude when our life hits turbulence or even crashes?   That was the question just posed to me by a member of our global online tribe. And when I read it, my first thought was: “I need...

We all want to call the shots in life.   No doubt you’ve experienced the hyper two-year-old who deliberately puts one foot over the line, testing the boundaries set by her weary parents.   Then there’s the teenager who totally shuts you out of his secret online world … and has managed to find a way around the security measures you added to his cell phone.   And, of course, who can...

“Something’s gone wrong,” my friend told me, his face strained and his eyes tired. “Every day I feel guilty because I am not growing spiritually. And to be totally honest, I don’t have a clue what God is like … or what he wants from me. Instead, I play church and act as if I have it all together. But inside, my faith is moldy.”      My friend continued to share his spiritual struggles, explaining...