Why Does God Test Us?

As followers of Jesus, we have become citizens of a new kingdom. Paul wrote, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14) It’s important to realize, this kingdom operates very differently […]

Why Our Faith Doesn’t Work

My youngest daughter and son-in-law moved to South Korea a couple weeks ago. He serves as an Air Force officer and she will serve with Young Life on the base. While on a temporary assignment, their vehicle had been in storage for six months before being shipped to Korea. They picked it up a few […]

The Dangerous Wrong Voices

If you took an inventory of your thoughts today…how many do you think would be negative and how many would be positive? How many are causing fear and how many are causing your faith to grow stronger? I rarely watch the news or visit news websites. I also find myself spending a lot less time […]

Whose Reward Do You Want?

Whose opinion matters most to you? Your spouse? A parent? Your children? Your boss? A coach? Friends? As I was growing up, I learned how to garner the approval and praise of others whether in the classroom or on the football field. And like a drug, I discovered how good it felt to be thought […]

Answers to Prayer

When you’re hurting, when you’re in need, when you’re losing hope, when you’re totally confused, when you see no way out…how do you pray? I pray desperately during those times…crying out to God for answers…begging Him for help. I suspect you do as well. And sometimes I’ll read something in His word that encourages me […]

Do You Understand…Yourself?

Jake grew up in a home with a mom, dad and older brother. He played basketball like his dad, but wasn’t nearly as good as his older brother. Actually, Jake loved guitar and piano more than sports. Unfortunately, his father didn’t have much of an appreciation for music. He valued practical skills like repairing a […]

How to Never Be Disappointed

Would you like to never feel disappointed again? To never feel the sadness that comes with unmet expectations? It’s simple. Do nothing. Ask for nothing. And expect nothing. Give up on your dreams. Take no risks. Make only small attempts. Have no expectations of yourself. Set no goals. Make no plans. Never express your needs […]

What God Wants

When life gets full or complicated or I’m not sure what to do or what decision to make, it always helps me to pull back to the big picture…to ask some fundamental questions. And for me, the biggest one is simply…what does God want? Of course, inherent in the question is the presupposition that there […]

A Week After the Election…Now What?

If you live in the United States and have been displeased about the direction of the country over the last eight years, then you probably voted for Donald Trump. If you’ve felt good about the last eight years and wanted many of the current policies to continue, then you most likely voted for Hillary Clinton. […]

Are You Agitated and Anxious?

It’s sunny, very windy and 80 degrees in Fayetteville, Arkansas today. But 7 years 8 months and 3 weeks ago, it was a different story. A severe ice storm had just hit. Trees were down and power was out all across Northwest Arkansas. Lots of trees were lost in that storm. Trees that did survive […]