Are you a fan or follower of Jesus? Most of us would jump at the opportunity to proclaim our Jesus fandom, but the truth is, Jesus isn’t looking for fans; he’s looking for completely committed followers. How can we tell the difference? The dictionary defines a fan as, “an enthusiastic admirer.” We live in a culture where it seems like … Read More
Don’t Give Up On God Life gets hard. You pray, but God doesn’t seem to answer. You are disappointed, and over time, disappointment becomes disillusionment. Disillusionment turns to despair, and you feel like giving up. Honestly, you feel like giving up on God. It happens to all of us. We have expectations; then God doesn’t meet them. Recently, I went … Read More
As a pastor, I have many conversations with people where the bottom-line message they need to hear is, “Don’t give up.” Different people need to hear that reminder in different ways, but I want to encourage you specifically: Don’t give up on your marriage. I want to tell those of you who have been divorced that Jesus loves you and … Read More
Think about a critical conversation that you’ve had. Maybe it’s one of the most important conversations you’ve ever experienced. Like a coach sharing a strategy and imploring his team to give their all during a game. Or it could simply be two world leaders trying to negotiate peace. I’d like to cast my vote for what I think has to … Read More
What is Victim Mentality and How Do You Overcome It? On May 25, 2001, Erik Weihenmayer reached the summit of Mount Everest. Seven years later he climbed the Carstensz Pyramid in Papa New Guinea. That day, he also completed the Seven Summits, the highest point on every continent. Only 150 people have accomplished such an incredible feat. I forgot to … Read More
The Bible is full of stories about people who experienced brokenness while being challenged at their very core. The Christian life is certainly not free from hardship and suffering. On the contrary, life in Christ is full of all the demands that the rest of the world faces, and all of the challenges and trials of spiritual and church life. … Read More
This past summer, I signed up a 50-mile bike race. I hadn’t been cycling long, and this was going to be the longest ride I had ever done. I prepared well. I did months of training and stretching, I practiced each stage of the route, and most importantly, I became an expert in carb loading. (Donuts!) About halfway through the … Read More
Do you know what it’s like when someone you love is in pain? You desperately want to help, but there’s nothing you can do. If you’re a parent, you already know what it’s like. Your kid might be in pain from falling off a wagon, a broken heart, an unexpected breakup, the flu, or the homesickness of your college freshman. … Read More
Think about critical conversations. Maybe it’s one of the most important conversations that you’ve ever experienced. Or a coach at halftime during a game, sharing strategy and imploring the team to give their all. Or it could simply be two world leaders trying to negotiate peace. I’d like to cast my vote for what I think has to be one … Read More
God calls himself our “Father.” That makes some of us smile. But not all of us. I’m acutely aware that when you think of the word father, you may not be thinking of going out in the backyard and playing catch. You’re also probably not thinking of someone who took you out for root beer floats on a warm summer … Read More
