Posts Tagged ‘blog’
Messaging the Kingdom
Jesus’ first sermon (Mark 1:15) had three points: The time is fulfilled The Kingdom is near Repent and believe Jesus was obsessed with the Kingdom. He talked about it more than anything else. He told his followers, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for that is why I was…
Read MoreListen for the Blessing
Most of us talk too much! As an extrovert, that seems to be my life story. Sigh! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked God to set a guard over my mouth! Peter, a disciple of Jesus, had this problem as well. Gotta love Peter, right? He was constantly putting his foot in…
Read MorePraising God in Advance Restores Your Faith and Brings Peace
I remember that night so well. Swatting unwelcome mosquitoes, I knelt and prayed in the African hospital next to my 18-month-old daughter’s crib. Bethany was sick, very sick. The doctors at the hospital felt baffled and unsure of what to do next. I felt panicked and uncertain that prayer would help. Steve felt anxious and…
Read MoreNot a Likable Guy
He was not a very likable guy. He’d been lame for 38 years, but when Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, the lame man didn’t say “Yes, please!” or even “Can you help me?” Instead, he griped about not having any friends to put him in the pool when the angel stirred…
Read MoreListen before You Lead
Mother Teresa has always intrigued me because of her godly servant leadership. She was a tiny but powerful woman who didn’t use manipulation, money, or magnetism to influence people. Instead, Mother Teresa was known as a humble listener. You would think that would have hurt her leadership. I mean – to influence people, don’t you…
Read MoreReconstruct Your Faith… Don’t Deconstruct Your Faith
One of my daughters asked me if I had seen posts on social media about people “deconstructing” their faith. She’s very concerned. So am I. In case you’re unfamiliar, it is a big thing right now for those who have been hurt by the church to post on social media that they’re “deconstructing their faith.”…
Read MoreThe Prayer of Surrender
I was listening to a couple of my grandchildren as a heated argument broke out. One of the mama’s instructed, “You need to say you’re sorry and will you forgive me!” What followed was fits of tears and the honest raw confession, “I don’t like to say I’m sorry! I don’t want to!” Ah, surrender…
Read More4 Seeds to Be Sown in the Secret Place
Recently, I’ve been reading about the life of Elizabeth Elliot. In case you’re unfamiliar with her story, she and her husband Jim went into the jungles of Ecuador to reach an unreached violent people group with the gospel. Her husband Jim was killed – speared to death by the Waodani Indians. After a time of…
Read MoreCharacter Matters
America is in a crisis of leadership. Everyone knows it. No one knows what to do about it. Our nation desperately needs good and sound leaders. As the wise man once said: ‘Love and truth form a good leader; sound leadership is founded on loving integrity.’ (Proverbs 20:28 MSG) Admittedly, it’s hard to be a good and…
Read More3 Prayers to Pray for Those You Love
I have a prayer journal that I keep for each of my grandkids. After all, I have 14 grandchildren and my prayers for each of them were too many to fit all in one journal! I often borrow prayers from the New Testament book of Ephesians when I am praying for both my kids and…
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