We are saved by faith, but we will be judged by our works. We get into trouble when we confuse the means of our salvation with the fruit of our salvation. The means of salvation is by grace through faith in Christ. That is HOW we get saved. We have no input in it whatsoever. It […]
Whose voice are you listening to? The christian life really comes down to it…It’s either the voice of the crowd or God. That’s always been the struggle from the beginning. Jesus constantly fought with the religious leaders of the day because they were listening to the voice of the crowd more than God. “But if we […]
Let me share something weird about myself. When I was little, I didn’t really want to grow up. I remember when I was in 6th grade, about to go into middle school, I didn’t look forward to going because I didn’t want to grow up. Why? Because I knew that to grow up meant that […]
Have you ever fantasized being great? Of course you have. I have. Growing up, I often fantasized being the greatest baseball player ever. When I became a pastor, I fantasized becoming the greatest pastor ever. Then, when I became a father, I fantasized being the greatest father ever.Silly? No. It’s innate. It’s in all of […]
Have you ever thought, “If God is really there, why wouldn’t He do this for me?” Or, “Why wouldn’t God make this right if He really is powerful and loving?” Those are questions serious enough to make us leave God and not follow Him anymore. Yet, the disciples who were with Jesus for 3 years had […]
Is God personal to you? Do you know Him intimately? Do you spend one-on-one time with Him regularly? If not, you will distrust Him when tough times come. As I was reading Exodus, I was struck by two very different responses to the same event by two different people. When the Israelites were being chased […]
A mother of a teen once told me, “Being a student is what’s priority for my child right now. Once he gets his education, then he can serve God!” I forget what I said back to the mother. But if I could say it now, I would say, “Ma’am, you are saying it’s okay for […]
Sin always comes through what we consider good. No one does anything for the evil it will bring. He always does it for the “good” it will bring him. Take an extreme example. When Hitler invaded Europe and killed the Jews, he was doing it for the good it will bring him. He wanted a […]
What you feel threatened by and thus get defensive about reveals where you want to be king. Do you get defensive about your children when someone criticizes them? Your being a good mom or dad is sitting on the throne of your life and you want to defend it when it is threatened. Do you […]
One of the hardest things to do is to wait. Even the most faithful men/women may fail at this… I’m nearing 50 and in some sense, I’m still waiting. I’m waiting for God to break through in my personal life, in my family, and in my church. There is a vision of what they could […]