Easier said than done, right? Of course! But we can get to this glorious place and experience its bountiful blessings if we trust God’s promises. If we believe that God is in full–not partial–control.  If we release the hurt and allow the healing.    It’s all about EXPECTATIONS.    More specifically…it’s a matter of pushing aside our UNMET EXPECTATIONS and stop...

God wants us to pray for protection as we pull out of the garage each day with him as the driver. He wants us to pray in advance  for protection on every part of our life–health, family, church and business relationships, finances, our future, our hope—all of it. But praying for this protection once a week at church or even once a day as we start our journey is not enough! He wants us...

To stand out for Christ in a world swimming in excuses, we need to take ownership for our wrong-doings. We need to accept blame for our mistakes. And then we need to let God use our shortcomings for good. Our culture may expect Christians to be faultless, but we do not need to live without fault in order to have an impact for Christ. Because we cannot, of course, live without fault. But when we repent...

God says fear is unacceptable, yet we still fall prey to this powerful foe! Fear is a natural, human reaction to our surroundings and the machinations of living. It is not possible to completely remove it from our life. But we can stop thinking we can control things by being fearful. Yet our culture has taught us that fear is part of the package we get in life. We are told to endure the constant...

Our entire value system is under siege as the world slides into a bizarre paradox where the unreal is real.   Cosmetically appealing slop is supported by a media that feeds it inexorably to a panting and ever-expanding audience. The tabloid explosion is feeding our fascination with the prurient. TV talk shows have become theater to help us feel better about ourselves because can tell ourselves...

Our vulnerability to Satan’s Voice Villain in our ear increases with each new mistake we make or bad feeling we entertain.  This negativity creates a damaging self-perception that we are not worthy and cannot be like Jesus. Then we mistakenly start thinking we are no good for others, no good for our families and friends, and no good for God.    It’s a search-and-destroy mission...

The “Be Nice Game” is rooted in the false ethic of reciprocity which says if we’re nice to others, they will be nice to us. It’s NONSENSE and a “Golden Rule Ruse.” As Christians, we know that people do not always reciprocate when we treat them with Christ-like kindness, patience, and acceptance. Boy, do I know.      If we decide to perform for people to gain acceptance,...

Early in my faith walk I thought memorizing Scripture was all about showing people how close we are to God—a Spiritual Show Off. WRONG! I have since learned that there are myriad reasons why God wants us to memorize his Word, but showing off is not one of them. Here are five of the most important for me:    CHRISTLIKENESS: Scripture constantly reminds us of the standards God sets for...

God wants us to continue walking in faith without complaining or compromising when fear pervades our thinking. The key is to trust he is still there…always there. And will NEVER leave.    It’s true. He never leaves us, whether we feel it or not. We shouldn’t debate whether God stirs us. We should act immediately and “start the race,” because hesitating is ignoring God. It may take...

Winning the CONTROL Battle In 2018 As a CEO in the marketplace early in my walk with Christ, I allowed career uncertainties to spill into my personal life. I allowed inexorable stress to surge through my soul. I allowed a ticking time bomb to pervade my world. And it produced horrific consequences. My futile quest to make everything “perfect” had landed me in a slipstream of angst. While chasing money,...