For some, home is unsafe. Others are lonely, or on the run, dreaming of a better place and seeking fulfillment or reassurance out there somewhere. Each of us needs a place where we know God will meet with us. Maybe it’s time for you to get back to God.  Read More

Who are you, really? God already knows. When you're honest with Him about who you really are, you can take the mask off and enjoy your new identity in Jesus. You won't like eating the bitter fruits of deception...  Read More

Circumstances can be better guides to God’s will than blessings. Even though you’re blessed, when things are getting stirred up, stopped up, or full of strife, get ready God might be making a move. Difficulties that come out of nowhere aren’t designed to cause you to despise God, they’re designed to give you direction from God. Pay attention to more than your blessings (Gen 26:12-33).  Read More

Laugh at me while I laugh at myself In ways, I’m just like my parents. I can be a bit impulsive – you know, it seems like the natural thing to do, so I do it. That’s not always a good reason or plan. But when we face a basic need going unmet, we, like Abraham’s son Isaac, can be driven to the wrong source for relief. When that happens, think again. God may have other plans...  Read More

Someone I know did not see value in a gift they received and carelessly neglected it. Later, no number of tears could get it back. What was presently rejected was later regretted. For some, they once professed to believe Christianity, yet because of the attitudes and actions of others, or seeing little practical value in it, they walk away never to recover (Gen 25:27-34). When you “just don’t care” remember, what you presently reject you may later regret. What we see little value in right now, may not be available later - no matter how sorry we are...   Read More

What is faith? Faith is confidence in what God says then acting upon it. It is not seeing what I can do or get God to do. Suffering, like it or not, is a key to Christian growth. Life’s humbling, humiliations, and our humanity burn away foolish notions about God and ourselves leaving us with a purer faith. We learn more about faith in suffering than study. Study produces doctrine, suffering produces depth: It’s a call to worship. Study teaches us truth about Jesus, suffering teaches us to trust Jesus. As faith matures, we gave God our Lot’s & Ismael’s (baggage/burdens/problems), now he wants our Isaacs (blessings/promises). Giving God the carnal things gives ways to giving Him everything...  Read More

Have you sought the Lord for emotional healing over some painful or sinful event but the help just didn’t seem to arrive? You’re in good company. Be of good comfort God is nearby. These messages (steps) weren’t intended to become a “formula for success” over the challenges of life. But they are helpful steps toward getting some vital emotional healing when life hurts. Moving from the hiding place - wounds, to the honest place - war, can be painful and frustrating. Sometimes we skip or misstep getting to the place we want to be. Toxic environments inhibit spiritual health and wellness. So do toxic people. Make some space. God permits you to get around others who encourage steps toward and into....   Read More

When your story is dotted or defined by painful events, losses, abuses, traumas, failures, and sins committed against or by you it is easy to retreat to the hiding place. Hiding people are everywhere. Like a wound under a bandage, the pain doesn’t go away in the hiding place. It can fester and manifest itself in all kinds of distorted beliefs and behaviors - sometimes for years or decades. Emotional wounds left uncared for may become a silent or violent war that rages within and outward toward others. You really can’t hide it; you just learn to disguise it – we “mask the pain”. Here's the second step to emotional healing...   Read More

We all have painful events in our lives. We get emotional wounds from things others have done to us, we’ve done to others, sin, things we’ve gone through, losses, tragedies - all of them significant. Left uncared for these wounds become infected - toxins inside of us that negatively influence our quality of life and relational health. But sooner or later these buried wounds bubble out. You and I bury pain, barricade or block events that have wounded us, and allow offenses and losses we’ve experienced or caused others to hinder us, hurt others, and distort our perception of God...  Read More

Did you ever do something stupid, and keep doing it while expecting different results? You’re not alone! Sometimes we want to get off the path we’re on, but are stuck in a rut – Same thing, try harder, get more stuck. We can waste our life spinning our wheels. If that’s your story, this might help...   Read More

Some people are famous for what they know or do. Some for competency, others for character. But what happens when character and competency align with a soul redeemed by Christ? You meet a man or woman with a mission to make the gospel visible and accessible to all. They’ve stepped into ministry to use their good character and competency to make a life-giving difference everywhere they live, work, learn, worship, socialize, and play. Look at three things you can do to be more ministry minded and engaging with the life-giving gospel:  Read More

The Bible is full of life-changing and life-giving encounters with Jesus and the gospel. When God touches a soul, rescues it, redeems it, repurposes it - that’s a story that must be told! Whatever your past, present, or future the gospel believed and received rewrites it. The gospel rewrites your story in such a way you cannot be silent about...   Read More