How to be a Hero
The first obstacle we face when it comes to loving our neighbors is fear. We often teach our children at a young age about “stranger danger.” What is beneficial thinking for a child is not always a helpful way to …
Waiting, Jail, and the Blessing of the Book Cart
This story is from the NavPress book, Just. You. Wait. by Tricia Lott Williford. It’s an intimate passage about the start of her husband, Peter’s experience in jail several years prior to their marriage. According to Peter, one of the …
Navigating the Abundance of Summer
Summer is the height of extremes. Gone is the subtlety of spring with its pastel colors, mild temperatures, and tiny beginnings. Here instead comes the vibrancy of summer—bold colors, loud noises, overindulgences, exaggerations, and excesses everywhere. The sun burns hot, …
How to Ensure Your Unhappiness
It can be a painful thing not to keep your eyes on your own path. In college, I played rugby, which is a sport that involves a lot of running. To keep our conditioning runs interesting, our team decided to …
How Lament is Different than Cursing God
[maxbutton id=”28″] Blessing and cursing are polar opposites. Blessing flows out of generosity of spirit that desires good for another, while cursing is inspired by evil intent. Blessing builds up; cursing tears down. Blessing invites others to draw near; cursing …
10 Assurances of Eternal Life
It is normal for a Christian to have occasional doubts about salvation. Persistent doubts, however, are a source of major concern. And although no doubts should be ignored, chronic worries about salvation must be resolved. Conversely, it is typical for …
Why Evil Exists Now but Won’t Forever
As a pastor, the two main reasons I have heard people give for not being active in the local church are (1) people in the church seem just as lousy as everybody else, and (2) with so much evil and …
The Secret to a Stronger Prayer Life
[maxbutton id=”25″] According to sociological studies, what do Americans do on a daily basis more often than go to work? Pray.[i] Prayer is not only something that happens often in our lives; it’s also something that increases significantly as we …
Friendship With A Purpose
One-to-one discipling gives growing believers not only some important training and guidance, but a new friendship at a time when they really desire it. No one wants to be just part of the herd. We all long for personal relationships. …
The Joy of Spending Someone Else’s Money
A man happened to be walking along the streets of the city, when suddenly an armed robber approached him and ordered, “Your money or your life!” There was a long pause, and the man did nothing. He just stood there. …