Offering praise and thanksgiving to God helps to crowd out those things in our lives that hold us back, such as criticism, depression and fear. If we have a critical spirit toward others or toward the circumstances in our lives, we sabotage our peace. The prayer of praise is our greatest weapon against a critical [...]
People are looking for leaders they can trust, leaders who have integrity. A leader who “has integrity” means he or she is honest, and has clear and uncompromised values and clarity about what’s right and wrong. Integrity comes from the same Latin root as “integer.” You may remember integers from math class—they are whole numbers. [...]
Baseball legend Cal Ripken, Jr. was interviewed about his success as a baseball player. Many believe he is one of the greatest players in baseball history, but his individual success was not what mattered most to him. In the interview, he said: “I’d much rather be referred to not as an individually great player, or [...]
Insecure people, especially leaders, often want and need control. Feeling insecure, they search for and seek out opportunities to make themselves look important. Their ego is their driving force. Because they do not feel secure in the vision and direction they are going, they start to push and make something happen to somehow “save face” [...]
Often problems we never thought possible arise and sap our energy. During these times, our souls cry out for an adrenalin fix. Here are some spiritual shots to enable us to persevere instead of quitting and aborting the plan of God. Do not focus on past failures and problems. When we are driving, we keep [...]
Years ago I learned the importance of building a healthy team. Teamwork is the ability to work together toward the fulfillment of a desired outcome without the loss of any team member’s individuality. God has always emphasized the importance of building teams. Jesus built a team and Paul the apostle built a team. Teamwork is [...]
Let’s get real. We all face difficult seasons in life. The founder of Operation Mobilization, George Verwer, once gave this advice to those who were experiencing tough times, “Get more familiar with the pain, and don’t let it be such a big deal.” We are going to have times of pain in life. We are [...]
The human heart is never neutral; it must worship something. It longs to attach to something. Whether we want to admit it or not, the heart is often an idol factory elevating things or people above God. It happens so subtly. For example, when we are worried, where do we look for comfort or security, [...]
This may sound really elementary, but it is a powerful truth. When we repent of our sins, God forgives them and will never remember or mention them again. Psalm 103:12 tells us that “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” You can’t get any [...]
The early Christian disciples knew what it meant to follow Jesus. When Jesus said to fisherman, James and John, “Follow Me,” they left their boats and nets—their business, their livelihood—and followed Him. As Matthew sat in his tax collecting station, Jesus came by and said, “Follow Me.” Matthew left his position and job, and followed [...]
