Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. — Joshua 1:8 What consumes your thoughts most days? When given the chance, where does your mind wander? Are you frequently…
Flaming Torches and Living Promises
Doubt. He’s a nosy neighbor. He’s an unwanted visitor. He’s an obnoxious guest. Just when you were all prepared for a weekend of relaxation… just when you pulled off your work clothes and climbed into your Bermuda shorts… just when you unfolded the lawn chair and sat down with a magazine and a glass of…
15 Powerful Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes
On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of his hotel in Memphis, TN. On the 50th anniversary of his passing, we honor the legacy of this powerful speaker, writer and leader of the civil rights movement — a man for whom the love of Jesus Christ was a…
God Will Help You When You Are Sick
We don’t know her name, but we know her situation. Her world was midnight black. Grope-in-the-dark-and-hope-for-help black. Read these three verses and see what I mean: A large crowd followed Jesus and pushed very close around Him. Among them was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered very much from…
Desperate for Immanuel
Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. — Psalm 142:6 Years ago, when my second daughter, Morgan, was about two years old, I arrived home from my church office early one afternoon I was eager to spend a…
Eternal Rewards
In the first months of my new life, I crashed into 2 Corinthians 5:10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. I asked Scott Manley, the Young Life…
Love Over Judgement: Love Is Super-Sized
There are different ways to love people. Jesus was the expert at them all, and none was His equal. Loving people requires a keen understanding of what their needs are at what time — the psychology of humanity laced with spiritual understanding only the Holy Spirit can truly provide. I have played the piano most…
Are They God’s Desires Or Mine?
How do I distinguish between my desires and God’s? How do I tap in to my true heart’s desires — the ones that lead me to His best for me? Once the Holy Spirit is dwelling within your heart, you have more than mere human intuition and know-how to help you make decisions. As the…
Being Unoffendable: The Ridiculous Idea
Okay. So this may sound like the dumbest thing you’ve ever read, but here goes: You can choose to be “unoffendable.” I actually heard a guy say this at a business meeting. That is striking to me for a few reasons: (1) I’d never, ever thought about that before; (2) I remember something from…
Brokenness: Taking Off the Mask
I had just moved in with my aunt and uncle while attending community college, and I was sitting on their couch about midday, ugly-face crying. If you’ve done the same, you know what I’m talking about. It’s where a cry session turns the corner and becomes a full-blown weep. I was really struggling at that…