When People Curse You, Trust God Has Your Back

The story of David’s son Absalom rebelling against him holds an important lesson about responding to mistreatment. When David fled Jerusalem, a man named Shimei cursed and threw stones at him. David’s men wanted to retaliate, but David said no. He recognized that though Shimei acted wrongly, God had allowed this adversity as discipline for […]

Putting Legs on Our Prayers – Taking Action for God

Prayer is vital, but it’s not the endpoint of our faith. My friend always asked not to just “blanket” him in prayer. Be specific, he’d say. This aligns with biblical examples of purposeful, pointed prayer. Recall the blind men crying out to Jesus – they directly requested healing. Jesus then asked what they wanted Him […]

Stewardship is More Than Tithing – It’s Wholehearted Offering

Many churches focus on tithing and giving during January as a stewardship emphasis. But true, biblical stewardship encompasses so much more than just finances. In Exodus 25, God instructs Moses to gather offerings from the Israelites to construct the ark of the covenant and tabernacle. Importantly, these offerings were to come from those who gave […]

Staying Close to the Fire of God

In my recent Bible reading in Exodus, a passage jumped out at me about Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. After rescuing them from Egypt, God led His people to this mountain. His fiery presence descended upon it, with smoke billowing up like a furnace (Exodus 19:17-18). Moses and Joshua went up into the […]

Guard Your Heart – Let the King of Glory In

I want to share a story from about 20 years ago that taught me the importance of guarding my heart. At the time, I often listened to talk radio while driving. Over several years, I found myself frequently getting angry about politics and culture. Eventually I realized all this negative input was affecting me. Like […]

Unlocking Your Kingdom Purpose: The Power of Written Goals in Christian Life

Christ calls us to live successfully – with focus and goals aligned to our Kingdom purpose. Without clarity of direction, we drift through life missing God’s full potential. But He has equipped and qualified us for the race ahead through His Word and Christ’s sacrifice. Those without written goals and vision lack direction and hope. […]