What is God Looking For?

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 […]

Dealing With Disappointment

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. […]

Can You Be Trusted?

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 […]

Why Does God Test Us?

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 […]

Why Our Faith Doesn’t Work

My youngest daughter and son-in-law moved to South Korea a couple weeks ago. He serves as an Air Force officer and she will serve with Young Life on the base. While on a temporary assignment, their vehicle had been in storage for six months before being shipped to Korea. They picked it up a few […]

Whose Reward Do You Want?

Whose opinion matters most to you? Your spouse? A parent? Your children? Your boss? A coach? Friends? As I was growing up, I learned how to garner the approval and praise of others whether in the classroom or on the football field. And like a drug, I discovered how good it felt to be thought […]

How to Never Be Disappointed

Would you like to never feel disappointed again? To never feel the sadness that comes with unmet expectations? It’s simple. Do nothing. Ask for nothing. And expect nothing. Give up on your dreams. Take no risks. Make only small attempts. Have no expectations of yourself. Set no goals. Make no plans. Never express your needs […]

Are You Agitated and Anxious?

It’s sunny, very windy and 80 degrees in Fayetteville, Arkansas today. But 7 years 8 months and 3 weeks ago, it was a different story. A severe ice storm had just hit. Trees were down and power was out all across Northwest Arkansas. Lots of trees were lost in that storm. Trees that did survive […]

Changing Your Mind

Think back over the past 24 hours or so. What emotions have been most prominent? Have you felt happy or joyful? Peaceful? Content? Secure? Or have you been angry? Anxious? Worried? Maybe you’ve felt frustrated. Or discouraged. Or afraid. More than likely, you’ve experienced multiple emotions…sometimes within just a few minutes. Often, our emotions fluctuate […]

Worldview

Do you find it hard to understand why those two brothers in Boston would detonate bombs to kill innocent people? Or how other Muslim terrorists would fly planes into buildings to kill innocent people? Or how could an abortion doctor from Philadelphia deliver live babies and then cut their spinal cords with scissors to complete […]