There is power in repetition! Because of how the brain works, if something is truly important, it must be repeated until it changes you. How many times have you heard something really important in a sermon, in a book, in a conversation… and then you forgot about...
GOD REWARDS FAITHFULNESS TO HIS VALUES, NOT OURS One of the gates in the ancient wall around old Jerusalem is called the Damascus gate. If you go out that gate, the road leads you to Damascus. There's another gate that's called the Joppa gate. If you...
A SENSE OF PURPOSE WILL GIVE US THE RESILIENCE TO CARRY ON WHEN THINGS ARE DIFFICULT On May 5, 2015 David Brooks wrote in an op-ed column about "purpose" in the New York Times: “Every reflective person sooner or later faces certain questions: What is the purpose...
COUNTER THE FIVE REASONS WE FALL SHORT IN OUR FAITH WITH 5 WAYS TO STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH Last week, we looked at five reasons we fall short in our faith: Ignorance: We cannot do something until we know or understand it. If we do not have...
OUR PROBLEMS ARE THE SAME AS ADAM AND EVE’S Faith is the main thing in the Christian life. Scripture says: “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those...
WALKING BACKWARDS OFF A CLIFF CAN TEACH YOU A LOT ABOUT YOURSELF To be honest, the first time, I didn't actually walk; it was more like a crawl… a shinny actually. I was teaching at a college in Phoenix, Arizona, and one day several of my...
FOCUSING ON OUR BRIGHT FUTURE CAN EASE OUR TROUBLED PRESENT I'm not saying my life is any harder than anyone else's. I'm just saying that it's harder than I thought it was going to be. From health crises, to financial reversals, to interpersonal conflicts, to dreams...
THREE PICTURES THAT REVEAL THE DEEPER MEANING OF EASTER “The promise of resurrection is seen in every new leaf of spring.” - Martin Luther. When we see the earth die in winter and come back to life again in spring, it helps us believe that one day...
5 STEPS FOR REINTERPRETING FAILURE Have you ever felt like a failure? Have you ever failed so often, or so badly, or for so long that you have concluded that you are a failure? Have you ever felt as though God has forgotten you… that he...
WHAT YOU HAVE TO FIX BEFORE STARTING OVER We said last week that failure is more common than success, but that if dealt with effectively, failure can become a valued friend. We saw that the Bible tells us: We will all fail (James 3:2) We can recover...