Mar 5, 2024 | Devotion, Inspiration, Pastor's Life, Personal Development
So often we try to find the plan for our lives based on those around us. We listen to what others say about us or the way the world defines us. We try to measure up to other people’s standards. We even look at people we think are successful in this world and then...
Mar 1, 2024 | Church Matters, Inspiration, Missions, Perspectives
“I’m on a mission to end missions.” This was the wild proclamation I found myself scribbling down during what some might call a “burnout” or crisis of faith. After devoting more than half my life to Christian humanitarian work around the globe, I was exhausted...
Feb 27, 2024 | Church Matters, Devotion, Inspiration, Leadership, Pastor's Life
EACH WEEK, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of Christians all over the world go to church. There are some constants. In almost every church, Christians are praying, reading the Bible, hearing sermons, singing songs, and sometimes receiving the Lord’s Supper. There are also...
Feb 23, 2024 | Church Matters, Devotion, Inspiration, Leadership, Pastor's Life
O God Who Faithfully Ministers to All, you have called us not only to know you and love you, but also to become like you, pouring out our lives for the sake of others. You call all persons to this noble task, and some you particularly set apart as ministers in your...
Feb 22, 2024 | Church Matters, Inspiration
Today, Christians are faced with challenges from unbelievers which causes many to doubt their faith. Can the Bible be trusted? Are the sections of Scripture written as history meant to be viewed with suspicion until verified by modern science? Jesus talks about the...
Feb 20, 2024 | Church Matters, Devotion, Inspiration, Personal Development
God’s original design of women was good, but Genesis 3 tells us that the fall mars all of creation. In God’s kindness, He still uses both men and women to accomplish His good purposes. Throughout Scripture, including the Old Testament, we see the importance and value...
Feb 16, 2024 | Church Matters, Personal Development
To know that envy disrupts the peace, contentment, and joy that God would otherwise grant to our internal life is bad enough, but even worse is the fact that if envy is not detected, dug up, and thrown out it will inevitably inflict some serious relational damage on...
Feb 9, 2024 | Inspiration, Pastor's Life
God is not a hustler. And the hope he calls us to cannot be built on naive expectations that people will start seeing things the way we do. Our longing cannot be built on the arrogant assumption that we are completely right in the positions we take. It cannot even be...
Feb 6, 2024 | Inspiration, Pastor's Life
I’ve come to believe in a better equation to describe what anxiety does: anxiety equals care minus God. We use the word care for both anxiety and love. We speak of not having a care in the world: that’s about anxiety. We tell someone we care for them: that’s love. The...