We’re living in a time where we are seeing the consequences of building identity around image, influence, reputation, and being seen. And when identity is built on those things, eventually the pressure becomes too much to carry. When Visibility Becomes Identity Colossians 3:3–4 says: “Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your […]
A Word at the Right Time Can Change a Life
Never dismiss the value and importance of an encouraging word prompted by the Holy Spirit and spoken in obedience at exactly the right time. In 1 Corinthians 14:3, Paul writes that prophecy strengthens, encourages, and comforts people. Many Christians hear the word “prophecy” and immediately picture something dramatic, public, or deeply mystical. But often, prophetic […]
Trusting Him in the Storm
There are times when you just have to go through the storm, taking Him at His word, and trusting that He’s right there with you. Several years ago, after saying goodbye to my mom, my friend and I started the three-hour drive home. We’d done that trip many times. Off to the north, the sky […]
God’s Value System is Different than Ours
God’s Value System Is Not What We Expect The Kingdom’s value system is topsy turvy, and Jesus points this out in Mark 12:38-44 (ESV) And in his teaching, he [Jesus] said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in […]
Who Are You Trying to Convince? Stop Chasing Approval
Are you sabotaging yourself by trying to prove to those whose approval you want that you are worthy of that approval? All that striving is doing is building walls. When you try too hard to gain approval, acceptance, or justification, most emotionally healthy people do not move toward you, they pull away. Are you willing […]
Spiritual Readiness Is More Than an Intellectual Exercise
I was invited to an online devotional on Holy Thursday where we were studying Luke 22—the account of the Last Supper and the hours that followed. As I participated in the study, something stood out to me, something I never thought of before and wasn’t discussed in our study What if it was more more […]