As 2017 begins its final fade to black, I am mindful of the fresh canvas God gives us for a new year brimming with its inspirational promises and powerful rush of hope. What a blessing! The fresh canvas that just peeked over the horizon this month is the same fresh canvas of forgiveness and grace that God gives us every day. It’s God’s fresh canvas to be forgiven and look forward with...

  Early in my faith walk I desperately wanted to hurl my incessant and destructive FEAR into the dump and watch it die and rot away. I’ll bet many of you have felt like that, too. We mistakenly think our faith will zoom into the stratosphere when we stamp out fear in our life.    NO WAY!  I learned much later that there can only be one way to vanquish fear—God’s perfect love must...

God has mightily blessed the Crowdfunding Campaign for Love God Fear Nothing, the ministry that helps believers love God more and fear less by producing powerful, life-changing devotionals, blogs, videos and social media posts.  After self-funding the ministry and our living expenses for the past 18 months, we are raising money to continue current programs and expand in 2018. 100% of these funds...

I’m watching 2017 begin its final march into the sunset with a burning desire to make 2018 more significant than the year it nudges off the horizon. More significant in understanding my life purpose. And more significant in serving others who need God’s love and hope. But making that dream a reality is not an automatic result from making another shallow resolution for the New Year. NO! Significance...

  How can I be wracked with fear during the Christmas season when we celebrate our savior’s birth and the beginning stage of God’s plan to save mankind? For many believers, what should be the most wonderful time of the year is full of fear and dread and hopelessness. Instead of joy, love, and peace, the Christmas experience can be filled with loneliness, depression, and anxiety.       A...

I can remember early in my faith walk when a destructive voice reminded me that with each new “mistake” I made or bad thought I entertained, I was not worthy of God’s love and favor. A negative thought pattern emerged that created a damaging self-perception that I was not up to the task of being like Jesus. It got worse when I mistakenly thought I was no good for others, no good for my families and...

I understand…it’s tough to boldly move forward in faith when our circumstances are closing in on us from challenges with family, relationships, finances, habits, physical pain, or emotional trauma. (That’s the short list!) BUT IT’S A CHOICE…OUR FAITH IS EITHER A WHISPER OR A SHOUT. Moving from a whisper to a shout starts with flooding our soul with optimism about the full range of potential God puts...

God could never forgive my past and I’m certainly no theologian. Deep down I’m just no good…God can’t use ME. Have you ever had thoughts like those?    I certainly have, and they produced a painful cycle of despair where I felt inadequate in God’s eyes. I felt guilty, too, because I hadn’t prayed. I hadn’t read the Bible. I hadn’t “been good.” Those crazy thoughts led me to figure, “God...

It happened at a barbeque on one of southern California’s magnificent beaches when a dear friend of mine who tells VERY LONG stories launched into another tale. As he started, I said: “Strap on your seatbelts and get ready for a long ride.” Everyone, including my friend, roared in loud and hearty laughter. No problem at this point.    But when he answered a question with one word—“No”—I...

Everyone is chasing SOMETHING. You, me, your pastor, your best friend…everyone. This is not only about chasing money, possessions or success like I did early in my faith walk. Our “chase” in life can be focused on anything that has us choosing the happy path over the holy path.    From the garden forward, we have grappled with what we think is a choice between happy and holy. It’s not that...