That’s how I viewed what was happening early in my faith walk when I had no spiritual discernment; never opened the Bible; and certainly did not have a relationship with Jesus.    I know, it sounds like sheer nonsense now. But back then, it was my reaction to all of the things that didn’t “go right” or didn’t “turn out my way.” Every encounter I had with discomfort supported my conclusion...

That was how I viewed Christian ministry early in my faith walk. I know, OUCH.    I avoided anything related to ministry for over 20 years. Playing on a continuous loop in my head during that time were images of me on a bike handing out “Christian stuff” somewhere on the globe’s other side.    As my spiritual maturity increased, God erased those images and helped me understand...

Bible literacy is at an all-time low, but DEVOTED Fellowship may be losing out to HANGING OUT Fellowship!    New Testament Christians didn’t just have fellowship, they devoted themselves to fellowship!    Obedient to God’s Word, these early believers made it a priority to meet together with other believers in fellowship with Christ–Koinonia in the Greek: “to share and take...

I’m not proud of it, of course, but it’s true nonetheless.    I had accepted Christ, but did not have a relationship with God. When I heard people proclaim that Jesus is the light of the world, it simply did not register. Without that foundation, I stood no chance of being a light for Christ in a dark and fallen world.    That’s why I walked past the switch to turn on God’s light...

That is exactly how I saw it early in my faith walk. I was immature and naïve.    Looking back on that now makes me sad because it was then, is now, and will always be FALSE for two key reasons: 1) We all will need some kind of breakthrough at some point; and 2) God PROMISES to help us through the barriers standing in the way. That is the TRUTH.    The need for a breakthrough could...

I was floating in a slipstream of doubt and fear early in my faith walk and could not make a move toward God’s outstretched and beckoning hand.    I felt like a frightened first-time parachutist who loses their nerve and cowers in the plane’s belly as the pilot screams: “Jump! Jump now!”    So it was with my life. So it was with my lack of spiritual discernment. And so it was with...

Early response in an emergency is important. The earlier the response the better. That’s why we venerate our first responders and respect them so much.    I was thinking today about the application between faith and first responders and realized that God wants to be our very own first responder on call 24/7, 365 days a year…FOREVER.    All we have to do is call his private 911...

I’m convinced that encouragement is one of the most powerful blessings in God’s Kingdom. That’s why I want to share with you today a few thoughts of encouragement that came to me this morning during my quiet time with the Lord. My prayer is that they encourage you and help brighten your day so you can, in turn, lift someone else.    I’M HURTING    When our pain is the greatest,...

I’ll never forget the first time I saw that “crazy” guy in the end-zone at San Francisco 49er football games. I was not a Christian at the time and had no idea what John 3:16 meant. Since there was no Google, I was left wondering–week after week after week—what in the world that guy was all about.    I picked up bits and pieces over time that this guy’s gig was somehow related to Christianity...

I’ve always been uncomfortable around clowns. Ok, I’m afraid of clowns! I have no idea why this aversion exists in my life, but it is definitely there and often becomes a metaphor to tell a story. Like this one here today…    It starts with a plaintive and non-violent voice whispering in my ear, “You failed, Mark…again. You are not a real Christian…and you will never be…”   ...