I’m amazed by how patient the Lord is and how much He honors our free will. He values process. He doesn’t rush things or hurry us along our path of maturity. He is content to give us space to seek Him and learn from Him and to slowly, sometimes imperceptibly, become more like Him in […]
Things are not as they appear. After Jesus delivers His first public sermon, He comes from the mountain and a man with leprosy approaches him and kneels before Him. “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” […]
My favorite verse in the Bible is Hebrews 11:6… And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Matthew 6:33 is similar… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will […]
Do you feel confident that you’re in God’s will? Do you feel good about the decisions you’re making and the direction you’re heading? Are you sensing God at work in you, through you and for you? Or is there some doubt and confusion? Do you sometimes feel like you’re groping around in the dark hoping […]
I’ve been hesitating for several minutes before typing this first sentence. Do I really want to write this? Do I actually believe what I want to say? In Matthew 15:21-28, a Canaanite woman comes to Jesus and begs Him to drive a demon from her daughter. I think most of us would expect Jesus to […]
One of my most embarrassing moments ever happened almost twenty years ago. It was back in the days when the internet and email were still in their infancy. I received an email from a friend. It was short and to the point. It said something like, “Check out these links.” Of course today, I’d be […]
Of all the negative emotions we can experience…fear, anxiety, worry, shame, etc….I believe disappointment is one of the worst. We’ve all experienced it. It’s that feeling of sadness or dissatisfaction when things don’t turn out like we’d hoped or prayed or counted on. You wanted a new bike for Christmas. Instead, you got a sweater. […]
There are times when I struggle with trusting God, so it’s something I’m constantly working to get better at. I invest time in His word. I thank and praise Him for His goodness, faithfulness and generosity. I try to take every thought captive and hold them up against the truth of His word. When I […]
As followers of Jesus, we have become citizens of a new kingdom. Paul wrote, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14) It’s important to realize, this kingdom operates very differently […]