A Dangerous Prayer

A Dangerous Prayer

I had never met someone so cautious. Joan was quiet, conservatively dressed and polite to a fault – always. When I became her pastor, she was in her early 50’s. Over time, I discovered her story carried a dark streak. In her late 30’s, her husband died, and she never...
Pour Out Your Soul to God

Pour Out Your Soul to God

She desperately wanted something from God. Hannah had not been able to have children. Year after year, she endured cruel comments about God’s displeasure with her and how God had forgotten her. Over time, Hannah’s despair ran so deep, she wept and refused to eat....
Friend of a Friend

Friend of a Friend

I couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be private. When I walked into church, I could see a woman’s serious look as she talked to a friend. As I drew closer, she left off mid-sentence, warmly greeted me and asked about my wife. I thought we were moving to a lighter...
God Knows Your Name

God Knows Your Name

At a conference not long ago, God did something that took my breath away. in a teaching session on the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, Jack Deere asked us to try our hand at healing. We spent less than 2 minutes in silent prayer, asking the Lord to reveal to us...
Don’t Skip Leg Day!

Don’t Skip Leg Day!

We do it all the time. We fall in love with one part of the picture and neglect the other – to our detriment. Take the exercise world. Many people only work their upper body. They want bulging biceps or washboard abs and really don’t care if all those muscles sit on...
Beyond Slot Machine Praying

Beyond Slot Machine Praying

How do you know what to say when you pray? Should it be formal? Are we supposed to talk about the little things in our lives or just the big stuff? It’s a common dilemma. When surveyed, over 70 percent of Americans say they pray weekly. But for many of us, prayer...
Breaking Free from Shame for Good

Breaking Free from Shame for Good

One day a piece of Scripture set up camp in the back of my head. It would waltz into my morning devotions to say “hi” but wasn’t satisfied with such an obvious setting. It chose to show up at night, during a meeting at work, or in a conversation with my wife. The only...
“I Don’t Want to Be Pushy” – And Other Fears

“I Don’t Want to Be Pushy” – And Other Fears

Does everyone in your family actively follow Christ? How about the people you know at work, in your neighborhood or in your social circles? If you are like me, the answer is no. Of course, I would love for everyone I know to experience the personal forgiveness,...
All That Really Matters

All That Really Matters

Many of us feel stuck. Our job no longer brings life. Our friendships feel stale. It feels like our dating life is going nowhere, or we find our marriage in a holding pattern. We can’t lose the weight we don’t want or say no to an addictive behavior that is pulling us...
The Power of Empty

The Power of Empty

Where have you stopped praying for a breakthrough? At a conference a while back, pastor Craig Springer talked about a miracle-stopping mistake revealed in an empty jar. The story found in Second Kings begins as a terrible dilemma. A woman’s husband had just died...