Sometimes, given the overwhelming nature of ministry, we tend to default to one of two extremes: giving up or pushing forward in our own strength.
Category
Christian Living
The Lord Is the Source of Our Strength
Sometimes courage doesn’t roar. Sometimes courage is trying again when you don’t feel you have it in you to go on. Sometimes it is pressing forward when lack of visible progress dampens your resolve.
Category
We easily name the world, the flesh, and the devil as the three primary enemies of the Christian life—and rightly so. Ephesians 2:2–3, 1 John 2:15–16, and dozens of other passages deal with these three enemies of the soul. But rarely do these present themselves unveiled in the heart of a Christian.
Category
4 Results of Revival
During the summer, schedules change and sometimes passion wanes. Yet, the God we serve is able to revive His people regardless of the season! Psalm 85 reveals the heart-felt cry of a Psalmist wanting to see God work. He has looked back to past victories.
Category
On the morning of September 11, 2001, United Flight 93 took off from Newark’s Liberty International Airport bound for San Francisco. There were forty-four people on board, all of whom would lose their lives that day. Four terrorists took over the plane with the intention of flying it to the Washington DC area and crashing it into one of our government buildings or memorials. They very probably would have succeeded, except for the bravery of the passengers and crew onboard that day.
Category
In the final twelve words of this verse, we discover a consolation for thankful people. When we give God gratitude, there are two gifts of assurance God gives us in return.
Category
“Give Me This Mountain”
I find Caleb to be one of the most inspiring personalities in the Old Testament. At eighty-five years old, he had not relinquished the spirit that had motivated him when he was forty. He still believed that through the help and power of God great things could be accomplished. Mountains could be possessed!
Category
5 Traits of Burden-Bearing Christians
In over thirty-two years as a pastor, I’ve known many burden-bearing Christians. But I’ve discovered that, while some people may do this initially because of their natural temperament, Christians who do this over the decades do so because of growth in grace.
Category
5 Proofs of the Resurrection
At the apex of all historical claims is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here are five evidences that support this critical Christian belief:
Category
In the midst of Change and Trial, Jesus Never Faltered
It’s amazing how quickly life can change. We live in a fast paced, and the life we live can be very unpredictable. Circumstances can change, people can change, and of course, we all know how quickly the weather can change. With sudden change often comes a sense of uncertainty or insecurity.
Category
The Cross Preceded the Empty Tomb
On Sunday, we celebrate the victory of Christ’s resurrection. We remember His triumph, and we thank God for the hope that brings in our lives on a daily basis.
Category
We Are Labourers together with God
A partnership is when two or more people affiliate together for a common cause or venture. It is a collaboration of assets, efforts, and skills for the purpose of making a profit or an important accomplishment.
Category
God Wants to Use You
Recently I found myself looking out my cabin window at a beautiful, fresh Northern Arizona snowfall. I was in that place of great natural beauty to preach to a group of Christian men, challenging them to allow the Lord to use them in even greater ways. What an appropriate setting: mountains, lodgepole pines, elk, food, and fellowship with some good men!
Category
God Visits the Downtrodden
This verse is a simple beginning to a lengthy book—some forty-eight chapters—all filled with wonderful visions from God and sometimes some pretty amazing and even difficult to understand prophecies.
Category
3 Ways to Follow through on Your Spiritual Decisions
I could ask if you have ever made a spiritual decision after a church service, only to break it within twenty-four hours. But every honest Christian would answer that question the same—yes.
Category
Several months ago, while in Ohio, I had the privilege of attending a Cleveland Indians ballgame with my father. At the start of the game, the announcer at Progressive Field said, “And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the two most important words in all of sports.”
Category
Time Magazine has not been normally known for being a staunch supporter of the Scriptures, but in March 5, 1990 they ran an article in their science column. “Science: Score one for the Bible! Fresh clues support the story of Joshua at the walls of Jericho.”
Over the years archaeologists have come to differing conclusions about Jericho. Jericho is the second most excavated city in the land of Jericho, second only to Jerusalem. The 9-acre Tel (or mound) has been examined by Germans, British, Americans, Palestinians, and Israelis.
Category
Last week my wife and I celebrated our forty-seventh anniversary as husband and wife. That is not as long as some, but a whole lot longer than many! They have been wonderfully blessed years, and I thank God for the wife and home He has given me.
Category
We all know we ought to pray more. We all want to pray more effectively. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if God wrote a manual on prayer?
Category
Three Observations We Can Make to Measure Spiritual Growth—Part 1
Growing up on the island of Guam, I noticed palm trees with white paint around the base of the tree trunk. I remember asking my dad why those trees were painted white at their base thinking he would give me some profound answer. He simply replied, “The white is there to measure the growth of the tree.”
Category