Have you ever built a house of cards? It isn’t easy because it doesn’t take much to knock the whole thing down. If you pull out one card, even if that card is on the top of the “house,” you have a good chance of making the entire thing collapse. Unfortunately, sometimes I see the Christian faith taught in a way that makes it look like a house-of-cards faith. Let me explain, starting with the good news. There is only…
Yesterday was my last day to teach King Hezekiah at the Community-Wide Ladies Bible study in Potosi, MO. What a unique and blessed experience! My heart was so encouraged by the faithfulness and response of the women. Thank you if you are one of the ladies who attended! What a beautiful group of women. God knows how far we’ve come and how thrilling it was for me to have had the opportunity to teach the study He placed on my…
I liked it. I cannot remember a movie that has had a wider range of opinions coming from people who seem to hold the same religious beliefs as “Noah.” I’m not talking about a difference in opinion between atheists and Christians, or even between denominations. I’m saying that if you go ask three different Baptists what they thought about “Noah,” you will probably get three vastly different opinions. Many of you are likely to think that my opinion is garbage.…
God has been stretching me — pushing me to my limits spiritually, emotionally and mentally. It’s crazy. If I’m honest, the push should inspire, strengthen and grow me. However, more often than not I’ve been struggling with insecurities. I always thought I’d be most confident and secure in my thirties! Not so. I feel the Lord expanding my territory, increasing responsibility and requiring more than I ever imagined. Of course, nothing is possible without Him. That much is clear. What…
For many months now, God has been stirring my heart, revealing Himself and asking me to truly worship Him — at church. What a concept. The truth is, I’ve been a worshiper for years. Being a worshiper simply means you recognize who God is. You meditate on His attributes; His great holiness, faithfulness and love (to name my top three) and as you do, you begin to see yourself appropriately by comparison. Worship is extremely humbling and extremely satisfying. When…
In my opinion, loving the Lord with all your mind is the most widely neglected principle in the church today. It is often referred to as “the greatest commandment” — “… You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37 ESV). (Other reports of this command include “and with all your strength.”) Unfortunately, most Christians have a hard time obeying this rule in all three key…
I was so utterly discouraged Wednesday after my talk to nearly 150 teen girls, I couldn’t even write this article. I couldn’t look at their evaluations of my program and I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t overcome my despair. I was spent. See, mid-day on Monday I began preparing for my speech to this group. Since I am now in my thirties — can’t believe I’m saying that —I thought it might be a good idea to do a little…
I’m sure your life is good. Normal. Your life is a perfect picture of someone living out the American dream. Life is not perfect. You have your ups and downs. But, you have a family and have landed a decent job. Fun, social events and day trips fill your calendar. Maybe you even attend church sometimes. Anyone observing your day-to-day activities would conclude that things are, well, good. Tonight as I sat in my living room floor, Bible open, King…
If you haven’t taken a close look at the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew, my headline might seem shocking, maybe even blasphemous. However, she is listed, not by name, but simply as Solomon’s mother, “…the wife of Uriah.” And, at least to me, Bathsheba’s story is one of the greatest accounts of God’s grace and redemption in the entire Bible. Bathsheba came to my attention as I was trying to come up with a subject for this week’s column. My…
At the RZIM Summer institute, I met a guy whom we called “Joey B.” Joey B was an active participant in the worship and lectures. If he heard something he liked, you would hear him say “That’s so good!” or “Come onnn!” At first, I and others found this to be a little distracting. I actually wanted him to stop — that was me being foolish. You see, Joey B actually had the joy of the Lord in his heart.…