Every day we can enter the amazing reality of God’s goodness and greatness. It is accessible through prayer and through the Word. The Word is an entry point to how the Lord blesses, moves, turns challenges into places of praise, restores our inner thoughts and shuts down the voice of the enemy. Yesterday I experienced some challenging news. I chose to pray. The… Read more »
Have you noticed, the ways of God can at times stir anxiety and other times produce in us wonder and awe? And yes, at times we can experience both in the same setting. In Mark 10, Jesus is headed to Jerusalem knowing he is walking into a death trap. The scripture highlights for us the picture of the circles. Two groups… Read more »
Powerful leaders have in their history painful times. The difference is that spiritually powerful leaders have learned that the Lord shows up in those seasons and uses them to catalyze a future that they do not want to miss! Don’t waste your pain! Bring it to the Lord as a sacrifice and allow Him to sanctify it.
Jesus said he came so that we would have abundant life. Really? Do you know many people who would describe their life as abundant? Jam packed? Stressed? Over committed? Yes to all of the above, but abundant? Full of meaning and hope? Not quite. Which begs the question of why? Why is it that what Jesus promised we can’t seem to find? Is… Read more »
The average person, statistics reveal, attends church 1.8 times per month. That’s a churched person! That means the typical church goer gets to church 22 times per year. Other stats point to the growing number of people who attend church, but do not connect or ever truly know Jesus. And I agree, somewhat. If going to church means just showing up, dropping a… Read more »
The disciples were arguing, not differing, but arguing among themselves about who was the greatest. Everyone wants to be seen, to be significant, to be important. In the next story section of Mark 9, Jesus says some rocking words, “Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.” Salt, in the context would be Kingdom values, Kingdom lifestyles,… Read more »
My friend was in a challenging church and I was in the office on the floor praying for him. My bible beside me, and my journal and pen were my companions. As was the Holy Spirit, for as I prayed my heart was shook. The church he was leading was in constant resistance mode, constant turmoil. As I was praying for him the word… Read more »
Vision is overrated if what we mean by vision is pure numbers, statements like, “our church’s vision is 1500 people”. That really isn’t vision, and that kind of statement is not empowering and therefore overrated. Vision that empowers has to capture our imagination, has to connect to those we serve. Then vision becomes powerful, it interprets what we do and what we don’t do, which… Read more »
Ezekiel takes us behind the scenes of history, behind the bravado of a nation, the crisis of exile and the hopelessness of their setting. God speaks to the prophet of the coming fall of nations who appear invincible. Assyria may look “all that,” but one day… and that day, declares the Lord through the prophet, is in the hands of God. Hopelessness permeates our lives,… Read more »
Every person chooses their level of impact. Our level of impact is not shaped by our parents, by our opportunities of school, our luck here or there. We choose our level of impact day after day, in the sacrifices we make, the moments we push ourselves a little extra, the times when we give up “what everyone else gets to do” so that we… Read more »