One of the most powerful and compellingly clear verses in God’s Word leaves no room for misinterpretation about what Jesus was telling us to do… “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34    The old self runs away from money.  The old self runs away from this world’s pleasures. The old self avoids disgrace, discomfort, dishonor,...

We can’t grab onto to something new and better—God’s peace, joy and a life of purpose—until we let go of the strongholds we have been clinging to. We need a SPIRITUAL REBOOT! Easier said than done, right? Of course.    It’s like the members of a circus trapeze team who refuse to let go because they do not fully trust their partner.    It’s the SAME thing for...

Keeping our options open with God to avoid making “uncomfortable” spiritual commitments will NOT make us “free.” The god of OPEN CHOICE is a saboteur who promises us that keeping our options open will lead to everything we want. But in the end we wind up at the doorstep of the OPEN CHOICE false god with nothing.    This is the moment of truth where we choose–or decline—to follow God,...

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...