Peace and joy in Christ are not automatic when we are saved, and we can’t manufacture it through our own efforts. Earlier in my faith walk, I tried with all my might to do it that way and, of course, failed miserably.    I thought the mansion and sports car would do it, but over time I learned that God’s peace can only come out of an intimate relationship with Christ...

Christians know from first-hand and painful experience all about the pervasive and destructive power of fear. They know it can have a dramatic impact on how we look at, and react to, the world. And they know it can only be vanquished through Christ. But there’s a healthy version—fear of the Lord—that allows us to incinerate the lies peeking out of the darkness. It is a healthy respect for God that...

  Insecurity is a form of FEAR produced by fixation on, and yielding to, our “perceived” shortcomings. Things like: “I am no good. I am incompetent. I am inferior to everyone.” That is what I call SITUATIONAL insecurity and, if unchecked, it will inevitably lead to GENERAL insecurity that pervades our very soul and never goes away.    Early in my faith walk my insecurity started out...

God made us to doubt ourselves and never doubt HIS TRUTH, but today we have that script playing in reverse! We are focused on ME, ME, ME and easily forget about the Lord’s divine plan for our life. Make no mistake, humility does not come easily. Our earthly desires scream out for the power and pleasure that comes from pride. And nothing makes the enemy happier than seeing this arrogance. REWRITING...

We should pay attention to God, right? A quick take on that line is “of course.” But that is a superficial response because the word SHOULD often stands in for the word God would use–MUST.    We must pay attention to God.    And the best way to do that–I think the ONLY way—is to immediately turn to God when a challenge surfaces. For me, that means asking God to SPEAK...

A new dawn is stretching out in front of our mind’s cinema and most of us are “trying hard” and chasing something right now. It might be a long To-Do list. It might be success and material possessions. Or it might be God. But trying hard, “no matter what,” can be a blind alley with no exists. It can put our personal balance, family, and even our health at risk. Even worse, it can compound the obstacles...

If everything is predetermined and imposed, then all we would need to do is show up. Right? The concept of accounting for all of the challenges in life is antithetical to the idea of trusting God for everything. The negativity consumes us when we seek a predictable pathway with everything fully revealed like a big bang in the sky.    The unknown is actually a major part of our walk with...

I have forgiven them, I promise! OK, fair enough…but then why are you still fighting the battle to be “right” or “make them pay” or to “get justice” as if they were sitting in a chair staring at you from across the room.    As I rev today’s early morning motor, a warm burst of air is taking the chill off my space and set the soundtrack on low with its steady and soothing hum. It’s a perfect...

We speak about 15,000 words every day and will always fall short of God’s standards along the way! It is inevitable that we will slip somewhere in the normal conversational flow of life. Rarely intentional, the offenders just tumble out of our mouth without even a thought of being wrong or hurtful. It’s a fact that we must own—our words have the potential to deeply injure others. OUR DUAL RESPONSIBILITY ONE:...

It’s easy to let the FUTURE be something that we simply “wait for” and “let happen.” God says DON’T DO IT!    This affects life in general and specifically our walk with Christ. It also comes into our work and career. However, it is not about us doing God’s work and architecting the future on our own. That’s playing boss and it’s wrong.    Our future is in God’s hands, of course. ...