God will rescue, and then he’ll be ready to rescue you again
Each new time I face an overwhelming challenge, I, like David, remember how God has rescued in the past.
What will and won’t change when you submit yourself to the Spirit?
A tiger won’t change its stripes, and some things won’t change about you, either, even after you submit to the Holy Spirit. Here’s some help in thinking about how to deal with this.
Know God is near—walk into the thin space between earth and Heaven
The enemy of God will always interrupt the things of God. But there—in the middle of the storm—God will prevail.
Like a tree and its crop, our lives show the health of what’s inside
Jesus gave his harshest critics advice that can apply to each of his followers: Good trees produce good fruit; bad trees produce bad.
Here’s why you should keep sowing seed, even with mixed results
So what if some seed doesn’t sprout? So what if all our effort doesn’t produce the desired result? After all, this is exactly what Jesus predicted and Paul experienced!
How do you feel about the reality that God has his eye on you?
We may have some success going it alone. But God’s eye on us can give impact to last for generations.
Why for now and for then can be the beginning of your forever
The prayer Jesus prayed at the cross was a psalm for us to pray, too. Just as it brought him some comfort and release in his time of trial, it can do the same for us.
Worried? Confused? Maybe the first solution is simply to be still
“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. . . . The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
Our story has a place in God’s story, the grandest drama of all
We can’t possibly know how the story will end. But the overarching love of God combined with both the promises of Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit can allow us to know that God will not abandon or reject us. He will, in fact, accomplish his purpose in us for his glory.
The psalmist’s options: Who will carry the concerns of our life?
David finished his urgent prayer for help with an affirmation of his belief that God had control over his whole situation.
To advance God’s work, sometimes it’s best just to walk away
To pull back from helping instead of rushing in when you know there is so much to do seems odd and maybe even like we are shirking our spiritual responsibility, but consider that this is exactly what even Jesus did.
Too much work and too few workers: Jesus offered one solution
Again and again, no matter the issue, Jesus seems always to have come back to the same solution. When we’re feeling short of capacity to accomplish his will, we can try his approach.
Jesus demonstrated the best way to train and equip a disciple
Leadership training methods and manuals abound, but as Jesus prepared the disciples for service, he showed what’s most important.
Moses, Matthew, and me ( you too, but I was going for three M’s!)
Neither Moses nor any of the apostles were called to do something for God like what they were already doing. Could it be that his call to each of us will be similar?
Their assignment, our challenge: sheep, wolves, serpents, doves
Since when does a shepherd ever choose to put his flock in the middle of danger? Yet in Matthew, Jesus sent the 12 apostles out by themselves, warning them of danger that would accompany them the rest of their lives.
Psalm 17: a good model for my prayer today, and maybe yours, too
I really can’t add anything to Psalm 17, but I can invite you to pray it with me today.
Here’s what’s really necessary to turn the world upside down
How did these common, uneducated men bring a revolution that still lasts today? Their “secret” is as simple as something that’s available to every one of us.
What might happen because you decide to obey one, simple nudge?
“Go over and join this chariot.” That was all the information Philip was given. But lives were changed because he simply obeyed.
Why you should not underestimate God’s ability to redeem your story
If you think your failures have ruined the story so it cannot possibly have a good ending, you probably aren’t paying attention to the way God has woven his story and master plan all through history.
Why the Joseph story shows God can use even someone like you!
It’s remarkable how God used Joseph, even when he wasn’t trained for the jobs God gave him. With all that we’ve learned, how can God use us?