There was a situation in the Bible where Jesus asked a man who had been crippled for thirty eight years what seemed to be a silly and even insulting question; ”Do you want to be well?”

Even though the answer seemed obvious, the question was necessary in helping the lame man identify an enemy that was greater than his infirmity. Jesus’ question led to the real question; had this man been crippled for so long that he had lost the vision for being well? Continue Reading…

Even though many people feel like their prayer life is lacking, I am convinced it’s not due to a lack of interest. Often, it’s a nagging sense of inadequacy that serves as an obstacle to consistent prayer. Many are plagued with questions like; “Am I good enough to pray? Will God even hear me? Do I need to say the right words for God to answer my prayers? Continue Reading…

Half of our spiritual growth is learning what we don’t know. The other half is unlearning what we do know. It’s the unlearning part that is the most challenging for us. That’s why in one of his sermons Jesus repeated five different times the phrase, “You’ve heard it said, but I tell you…..”

We all have “corrupt files” in the hard drive of our minds; faulty ideas and concepts of God. These false perceptions become obstacles, causing us to sabotage our relationships, families and careers. Continue Reading…

If you place a poker near the heat of a fire, eventually it becomes red hot. To succeed in relationships we need to follow the same principle. Surround yourself with great men and women. Remove your unhealthy relationships and begin to foster the type of friendships that empower your life.

Keep in mind that healthy relationships don’t just happen. Continue Reading…

There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. Just as fruit takes a full season to ripen, the same is true for the fruit of the Spirit. We’re often obsessed with speed. God is more interested in strength than swiftness.

A great picture of this is found in the growth of the Chinese bamboo tree.When you plant a bamboo sprout into the ground, for five years nothing seems to happen.

But in the sixth year a dramatic change takes place. The Chinese bamboo tree grows to a staggering eighty feet! The World Book of Encyclopedia records that a single bamboo plant can grow three feet in a twenty-four-hour period.

Instead of being discouraged about how far you have to go, remind yourself how far you’ve already come. Be encouraged, you’re sixth year is coming!

We usually give the best to our external world. Most of our energy is focused on trying to control our circumstances. We want it hot, but not too hot. We like it cold, but not too cold. In my case, at 51 years of age, I want to look trendy, but not too trendy. (smiling)

Focusing on the external is easy because we can see how it’s all working.  Because we’re able to control such a big part of our outward lives, we often create what appears to be progress. Continue Reading…

So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. (1 Kings 19:21 NIV)

Notice Elisha’s commitment to God’s new purpose for his life. He slaughtered his oxen and burned his plowing equipment. As far as he was concerned, there was no turning back. Hell or high water, Elisha was sticking with God’s plan. Quitting was not an option! Continue Reading…

People can become obsessed with looking for solutions for the problems in their life. Generally speaking, people don’t have problems. Cars have problems. Computers have problems. With us it’s not an issue of a problem to be fixed, but a path to be discovered. We don’t need a solution to our problems, we need a new direction!

It doesn’t matter where you intend your life to be five years from now. It’s not intention but direction that determines your destination. Take a moment to evaluate where you are relationally, financially and spiritually. What path are you on? It’s not too late to change direction.

Psalm 139:23-24] Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the PATH of everlasting life.

Jesus had finished teaching and now there are over 5,000 people starving. He tells his men they need to feed this massive group. Their immediate question was, “Where can we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” Jesus’ question to them was, “How much bread do you have?”

Questions communicate value. They determine what we focus on. There is a difference between these two questions. The disciples were focused on what they didn’t have. That’s understandable because we’re conditioned to focus on the negative. For example, I think it’s strange when the weather man tells us there is a 20% chance of rain instead of saying there is an 80% chance of sunshine. Yet, Jesus’ question (“How much bread do you have?”) brought attention to what they did have. Continue Reading…

[Proverbs 27:12] A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

Seeing danger doesn’t guarantee we’ll avoid it. Seeing it, feeling it, even agreeing with it isn’t enough. Taking precaution means we are willing to do something differently than what we’re doing now. Continue Reading…