Thirty-three years ago, I almost quit. I was serving as a pastor of a new church that was growing rapidly, but leadership became really hard for me. I wanted out. As I prayed and listened to God and received counsel, I came to realize that God had called me to this leadership role. Quitting was [...]
Life comes in seasons. Let’s embrace our present season and receive grace for it. It will not last forever. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…He has made everything beautiful in its time (Ecc. 3:1,11). We must embrace the present season of our lives, and realize it is [...]
Someone once said, “It’s only the water that’s on the inside of the boat that causes danger, not the water outside.” Proverbs 4:23 tells us; “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Even if there is conflict or trouble all around us, we must guide our heart. Our spiritual heart condition greatly [...]
Thomas Edison’s teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything. A reporter asked Edison one day how it felt to have made 1000 failures trying to invent a light bulb. His response, “I did not fail 1000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1000 steps.” Henry Ford once said, “Failure provides [...]
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5-6). I love this verse! The word “all” means all. If we want divine guidance in our life, we must acknowledge Him again and again. No [...]
Prayer and perseverance are often both needed to see our circumstances change. God showed Elijah that He would send rain to end a drought (1 Kings 18). Elijah prayed for the rain, but it did not come. Seven times Elijah sent his servant to look at the sky to see if rain clouds were forming. [...]
Almost everyone can name one or more books that have changed their lives. I am no exception. I grew up in an Anabaptist church. But I learned how to lead people to Christ from a book written by a Baptist. I learned about the work of the Holy Spirit from a book written by an [...]
I don’t always feel like praising God. But praising the Lord is not dependent upon my emotions; it’s a decision I make. As we come to the Lord in faith each day, we are offering to Him a sacrifice of praise. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise…” (Heb. [...]
If we only listen to those who teach the Bible from our own camp or denomination or local church, we may not receive the whole counsel of God. Pastors who frown on those within their local churches receiving Bible teaching from the Body of Christ at large are hindering them from receiving all the Lord [...]
The Lord is faithful, and He will direct our path one step at a time. Let’s tune our ears to hear His voice without preconceived ideas as to how He will speak. Isaiah 30:21 says, “Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the [...]