Have you ever watched the Let’s Make A Deal television program? The hit game show—starting way back with Monte Hall in the 1960s and continuing today with host Wayne Brady–involves studio audience members being offered something of value and then given a choice to keep it or exchange it for a different, unseen item.    I used to think forgiveness was a bargaining game with God...

Ponder this question. Is your work life a sanctuary or a prison?    Here’s my take: Work becomes a prison when it has been considered a sanctuary ahead of our full surrender to Christ. If we look at work as a place of refuge from life—its challenges, trials, and pain—and ignore God, we are on the way to prison for life without the possibility of parole. It may start out ok, but over time...

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.    Most of us do try in some way to increase our connection with God, but in many cases the approach we try is mechanical and cautious. We’re afraid to let go of the known, even if we don’t like where we are in life. It’s like the members of a...

Becoming spiritually mature used to be on my BUCKET LIST. Honest! Here’s the very short version of that story.    The beginning of my spiritual journey started in the Membership Class 101 at Saddleback Church in the 1990s. All I really wanted was the church membership card so I could tell people at cocktail parties I was a member! It’s true.    Trying to put God first seemed a...

We have allowed life to take away our “room to breathe.” Devices. TV. Appointments. More devices. More TV. More appointments. And ALWAYS a list of to-do items on our ever-expanding to-do list.    All of that has left many of us with no room to breathe. No room to reflect on life and our purpose in it. No room for God.    You are no doubt thinking that what’s coming next from a...

I want to share what’s on my heart with you today.    Right now, I am facing one of the most intense uncertainties of my entire life as I move 100% into ministry in 2017 and cut ties with the business part of my career. And it’s scary.    All of that got me praying and thinking…a lot. These three things surfaced as my reaction to this daunting challenge: Blow up all thoughts of...

I used to look at life and everything about it as a race that had to be won at all costs. Just win, baby. Finish first. Win. Succeed. Cash in and prosper. Be the winner.    What a joke.    Thankfully, God revealed to me that life is not an endurance run where we get awarded a prize for finishing first. Life is a journey of joy in the here and now. Every minute. Every day. Always....

Earlier in my faith walk, I would constantly face rushes of hopelessness that engulfed my soul and very being. Depressed. Sad. Depleted.    Hopeless.    During those storm trials I would be desperate for relief and try frantically to “pull a rabbit out of my hat” and make it “go away.”    It was sheer nonsense, to be sure, but that was my world at the time. I was trying...

When fear and worry settle in for a very long stay, the most common reaction is to analyze the facts. Studying all of the information makes us feel better, and there is nothing wrong with doing that. The problem is that we don’t give them over to God first.    In that scenario, we’ve taken charge as boss by trying to make decisions as if we ordering lunch.    We are saying to him,...

How do we know whether to turn left or right when life tosses a difficult decision our way? Do we get all the facts and “reason it out”? Do we think about the implications and consequences of the options? Do we “phone a friend” and ask for their opinion and direction? Of course! We do all of that and more because it’s the prudent thing to do.    But there is much more to our left or right...