Get Up and Get Going
I feel so much better when I go for my morning walk. It gets my heart going, and I have so much more energy for the rest of the day — the challenge for me it to get up and get going. I can come up with a ton of excuses not to do it. I’ve found it can be the same way...
Don’t Scratch the Itch
When you go to a doctor for an injury that requires stitches or begins to scab the last thing that they tell you as you walk out the door is to make sure you don't scratch the itch. If you do, you will create a lasting scar and may prevent the wound from healing....
Equipped for the Work
All of us had a job that when we started, we got little to no training. We were expected to jump in even though we had no idea what we were doing. For most of us that is unsettling because we want to do a good job and not mess up. We are equipped for the work of...
Come Into the Light
My wife and I go round and round about how much light we have on in the house. She likes very little light and prefers the soft glow of a table lamp. I am the exact opposite — the more light, the better. We've been married for 22 years, and it's easy for you to figure...
Leading with Patience
Being a pastor is the best job in the world. I love doing what I do, but that doesn’t mean it is easy. Some days try my patience. If I didn’t trust in the presence of the Holy Spirit, I wouldn’t have made it this long. People will test you in ways you never imagine....
Break Free From Entanglements
In the story of David and Goliath, there is a point where Saul wants David to wear his armor. It doesn’t fit, and so David takes it off and then heads off to face Goliath armed only with his slingshot. David didn’t want to be entangled with armor that didn’t fit him....
Brief Break
As you might have noticed there was no devotional posted today. That is the first time in 135 weeks. After writing 675 devotionals over that time I need a brief break. Life with four teenagers and leading a church has caught up with me. Don't worry, it will be a short...
Inscribed on His Hands
When I was a kid, I used to write everything on my hands. Someone’s phone number, a note to remember, or items my mom wanted me to pick up at the store. Being a typical adolescent boy, I was never organized enough to have paper for a proper list. The problem was that...
A Spirit of Power Love and a Sound Mind
Did you know that in 2017, there were 67.5 million prescriptions given out by Doctors for antidepressants? It’s growing every year. This shows you that people are struggling to deal with depression and fear. Fear and discouragement are two of Satan’s biggest weapons...
Restraining Anger
Have you ever been so angry that you wanted to punch something? You may get red the face, the veins in your neck may bulge, or you may scream, but you have reached your limit. Some people and circumstances push us to the edge of our patience, but something causes us...
You’ve Got to Have Some Fight in You
Most people give up doing what they’re doing before they finish it. If things don’t come easy, then we don’t try. The problem with that thinking is that nothing worth having comes easy. You’ve got to have some fight in you. This is even true with our faith. Paul tells...
You Can’t Take It With You
One of the more popular illustrations that pastors used twenty years ago was that you never saw a hearse pulling a trailer. With the internet now there is a meme showing precisely that. It is a good reminder of what you accumulate here on earth is staying here, even...
Counted Worthy
Few of us will ever experience the persecution the early church went through. Sure, there will be people who make fun of us or maybe even make life difficult because we follow Jesus, but as a whole, our lives will be pretty easy. The early church considered it an...
Generous Hearts
For most of history, humans were in desperate pursuit of feeding their families. Today there is such an abundance of food in most of the world that there is a massive waste. The impetus to get out and work so that your family can eat is gone. During Paul’s day, some...
Stop Being So Picky
Do you have a person in your life who is picky? Nothing is ever good enough. When you go to the restaurant, they never like anything on the menu and always send the food back because it isn’t right? It can be frustrating at times to be around them. God tells us that...
Season of Refreshing
I am in the midst of a teaching break from my church. It’s a period of time I take a couple of times of year to rest, sharpen my skills, and prepare for the next series I’m teaching. It is a season of refreshing for me and those I teach. All of us can go through the...
Out Into the Open
Have you ever been hiking under the shade of trees and then come to a section of the trail that was doused with sunlight? It takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the light. There is something that also happens to our bodies as we enter warmer temperatures. Coming...
The Only Way
People do not like to be limited in their choices. They especially don’t like to be told there is only one way to do something. We want to do things our way, on our terms, and have as many options as possible. When confronted with a situation that provides only one...
Time for Something New
Anytime we start something new; there is an excitement in the air. This week was the first day back at school for one of my children, and there was energy in the air as we got all the school supplies ready, took first-day pictures, and walked her to class. She was...
Called for a Purpose
Everyone wants to know what their purpose in life is. They want to have something to live for. Some seek it in education, and others seek it in experience. It is innate in people to understand why they were put on this Earth. Many people live in frustration, trying to...