Would you consider yourself to be a righteous person? Why or why not? Give that a minute’s thought.  Tragically and to our detriment, many Christians are not enjoying the freedom and self-worth that comes from their inheritance in Christ because they don’t understand the dramatic changes which occurred in them the moment they trusted in Him. God is not…

What would your faith be like if you trusted in the fact of God’s word . . .   and not in your emotions . . . and not in your opinions . . . . and perhaps not even solely on what your Mama told you? You may not have thought much about it, but our emotions wage…

Is deciding to live for Jesus trading up . . . . or not? Jesus would say finding and following Him is most certainly an upgrade in life. Make that the ultimate upgrade. That’s the essence of the companion parables in Mathew 13:44-45 where receiving eternal life and gaining the “kingdom of heaven” through Jesus is compared to…

There is a “murky” morality permeating the Christian church. Nothing new, you say? Just look at the Corinthian church and how direct and assertive the Apostle Paul had to be in his instruction to them and how he labored to help these young Christians make course corrections in their lives which would align them to live by…

“Whether it be a blessing or a curse, I cannot say.”  Last week I wrote that our “ground level” view of life’s circumstances is understandably myopic when compared to the grand scheme of God’s good purposes. Much like looking at the backside of a beautifully woven tapestry, we know something is there, yet we are still on the…

From cover to cover, the Bible teaches that nothing happens apart from the will of God. Nothing. Nada. That doesn’t mean  God is necessarily causing the thing that is happening to you. He may be, but it’s also likely that someone else is using his or her free will to do something that impacts you and God is…

Dating Jesus. Could we be doing that? Whether we are aware or not, the church today is challenged by a growing population of attenders who, unlike Jesus or the early church, are more concerned about what the church can do for them or offer them than how they can engage in the kingdom principles of personal…

Backing up on our walk with Jesus is something we are all tempted to do at some point in time. It could be reasonably argued that even the twelve closest to him at least took a turn South when Jesus was securely enclosed in the tomb. During the span of Jesus’ three year earthly disciple-making ministry,…

Imagine a young couple displaced in a strange town, alone in a crude stable awaiting the birth of their child – a first for them both. Labor begins, and Joseph frowns at his calloused, incapable hands. Hands which are capable for woodwork to be sure, but sufficient to deliver his baby? Concerned and ill-suited for such…

“Joseph, I have something to tell you.” One could greatly speculate on the thoughts and conversations that took place beginning with the choosing of a pure but common teenage girl who as a virgin would conceive and become Mother of the Messiah of Israel and the Rescuer of all mankind. Whatever possessed her to think…

How short-armed is your faith experience? Does what you do to love God completely and love others as yourself truly extend beyond the boundaries of yourself, your home and your church? This enhanced re-iteration of Deuteronomy 6:5 is God’s greatest command to his followers: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,…

The Christian life is unavoidably messy and often in tension. This is especially true if you are in a grace-based environment. Life may be “easier” navigating the black and white world of legalism, with clearly defined dos and don’ts, but not nearly as Christ-dependent or as satisfying. I believe this will increasingly be true for…