What I’m about to share with you has dramatically changed my walk with Christ and I’d even say transformed my life. That’s how important this story is to me; and my prayer is that it resonates with you.    The story is built around a balcony metaphor and pivots off God’s instruction to examine ourselves to “search me and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23). The way I do that in my life is inspired...

As 2016 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...

As 2016 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!    It is that fresh canvas that prompted me to develop the following seven steps to loving God more and fearing less in 2017. These seven steps will be the foundation of my new series called LGFN Life! that...

  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....