Mark Affleck

REJOICE! ARE YOU KIDDING?

NEWS FLASH—If you are feeling like that…you are in a very large group!    Man, did it ever take me a long time to get this right in my head and realize that life is a journey of joy in the here and now. Every minute. Every day. Always.    I can understand that at a surface level. Heck, I’m writing about it right now and I even teach it to my kids. But it is, nonetheless, common...

ISOLATED. ALONE. AFRAID.

NEWS FLASH—If you are feeling like that…you are in a very large group! Man, did it ever take me a long time to get this right in my head and realize that life is a journey of joy in the here and now. Every minute. Every day. Always. I can understand that at a surface level. Heck, I’m writing about it right now and I even teach it to my kids. But it is, nonetheless, common for me to feel like I’m running...

God’s 3-Part “Endurance Promise”

Sometimes it feels like my life is nothing more than enduring one test after another. One day it’s family. The next finances. Then something about an uncertain future. And that’s just three days! Sounds familiar, right?    Of course, but I’ve learned that enduring is not something to avoid. Life is all about ENDURANCE! This is not heaven. It’s earth and our ability to endure will be tested.    “Consider...

Three Steps to Boost Your “God Confidence”

It took a while, but over nearly 40 years of walking with Christ I have learned that what we once thought was the forbidden ground of our weaknesses, sins, and secrets is actually the activator of our SPIRITUAL CONFIDENCE and the gateway to God’s inner sanctuary!    It’s true.    God knows EVERYTHING and yet he still wants us to come to him wide open and offer every part of our...

ACTIVATE!

I spent many years living without the confidence needed to activate my faith, utilize my God-given gifts, and live out my purpose for Christ and his Kingdom.    It pains me now to reflect on those circumstances, but that is not the point God wants me to embrace. The point and key takeaway is how that learning must prompt me to tell others about the imperative to build their life on Jesus...

Three Steps to Stop PANIC in its Tracks

Panic or pray?    That’s one of the most important questions for Christians when they face the trials of life.    The good news? God’s Word is full of seemingly unending promises on the subject of worry, fear, and discouragement.    Below are three steps you can take to reject panic when it strikes.    STEP 1: GIVE IT TO GOD EARLY!    We allow our...

JUST DO IT!

It’s one of the most iconic taglines in corporate branding history. But it’s also a line all Christians can use to trigger Christ-like action for him and his Kingdom.    The process starts with this question: What have I done with my salvation?    Yes, we have come to faith in Christ, and we have invited him into our lives. This assures us we have escaped hell and have secured...

TURN IT OFF!

“You’re not good enough.”    “You’re not like the “good Christians.”    “You’re never going to find God’s peace. Ever.”    Those are just a few of the piercingly negative thoughts that created a deceptive narrative which would torment me earlier in my life. It felt like a tape was playing on an endless loop in my mind. A painful story to be sure, but one I want to share...

Drawing a line through SELF

Early in my walk with Christ I wanted to find an easy way to subordinate ME and my desire to play boss so I could promote God to be the CEO of my life. Something like, let’s say, simply drawing a line through the word SELF!    It didn’t take long to toss that nonsense aside and realize an “easy way” does not exist! So I got down on my knees to ask God for his answer. Here’s what happened.    God...

“I’ll Be Happy, When…”

That image above represents the Jaguar sports car I coveted as a young and hard-charging, success-driven CEO earlier in my life while I was living out what I call Destination-Point Happiness (DPH)—a pervasive and deluded view of the future.    In my own life, DPH was a dangerous game that came from playing boss and not yielding everything to God. This dynamic presented itself through an...