What Your Need for Intimacy Tells You About God’s Plan
Personal relationships. Intimacy. Sex and sexuality. What first comes to mind when you hear those phrases? It might be privacy…
Spiritual Struggle
Five Warning Signs Your Marriage is Headed for an Affair
Breaking your marriage vows, especially for a follower of Jesus, doesn’t begin by waking up one morning and deciding to…
3 Paradoxes We Experience in the Kingdom of God
Things are not always as they appear, especially in the kingdom of God. The carpenter’s son is truthfully the Son…
The Primary Purpose for which God Created Marriage
This is not what you signed up for. The things you expected marriage to be turned out to be wrong,…
10 Scriptures for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety
You know the Bible says “Don’t be afraid.” But sometimes anxious thoughts and feelings seem to overtake your heart and…
God Has an Answer for Your Fear and Anxiety
You’ve prayed. Maybe you’ve fasted, and cried, and asked others to pray for you. But the swirling thoughts and anxious…
Your Brain CAN Change
When I went through medical school back in the “dark ages” we were told that 50% of what we learned…
How to Build a Life of Resilience Against Stress
Resilience allows a tree to bend in the wind instead of breaking. It’s what an athlete cultivates in order to…
What do Unafraid, Worry-Free People Know that You Don’t?
You don’t want a completely stress-free life. Not really. But don’t some people seem to handle it better than others?…
How to Celebrate Easter in a Time of Turmoil
This weekend is what many Christians consider the holiest time of the year. We remember and celebrate the event on…
What Trusting God IS and What it ISN’T
Your head probably says that trusting God is a good idea. But trust is not only a decision, though it…
How Can You Trust God When His People Let You Down
On a good day the best part of your intellect may agree that God can be trusted. But consider your…
Is Marriage Worth the Struggle?
Yesterday I had a long talk with a couple whose marriage almost ended. After some serious bad behavior they separated…
When Pain Makes it Feel Impossible to Connect with the Family of God
After being deeply hurt in church or experiencing spiritual abuse you want to hide. Your body and soul may recoil…
Good and Not so Good Reasons to Leave Your Church
Over the last few weeks I’ve heard from many of you who have experienced church hurt. Such wounds usually come…
Three Things You Need to Recover from Church Hurt
“Raise your hand if you have not been hurt in church.” Just this week I heard a friend of mine…
What to Do If “God” has Become a Bad Word for You
When you think of “God,” what is your internal experience? Are you afraid, wishing you could hide behind some fig…
To Those Who Have Been Hurt in Church
Church hurt is real. There’s no use pretending it’s an anomaly or that true followers of Jesus should simply forgive,…
Confronting the REAL Reason You Go to Church or Not
Feelings around church can be complicated. And the Covid-19 pandemic has made it even more complicated. You might be one…
Jesus, Please Help Me Understand What’s Going On Here
When things are difficult one of the most helpful questions I’ve learned to ask is, “Jesus, what’s going on here?”…
Feeling on the Outside as a Single Christian
Walk into your average church and you might get the impression this is not a place you belong. Intellectually you…
From Surviving to Thriving, and Passing It On
Life had not been easy for Pauline. Emotional struggles, financial struggles, marriage struggles–she felt worn out. Through it all she…
Pastor’s Marriage and Ministry Restored
John is a pastor. He loves being a pastor. He loves being the husband to his wife and the father…
Praying Hope Over Your Marriage This Christmas
The holiday season is a time of conflicting emotions for many. When it comes to your marriage, if things are…
5 Things to Do When the Holidays are Hard
Feeling ambivalent about the holidays is pretty normal. You’re “supposed” to enjoy this season of lights, music, giving, and family.…
Have You Counted the Cost of Following Jesus?
When Jesus called people to follow Him, what did they understand they were saying Yes to? And if we are…
How I’m Wrestling with Feeling Angry About Marriage
I’m angry. And I’m wrestling with what Paul says; “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun…
Does Your Life Smell Like Jesus Yet?
Fragrance is a delicate thing that’s hard to put words to but impossible to ignore. Freshly brewed coffee. Freshly baked…
Why “Too Old, Too Young or Too Hard” are Bad Excuses
Excuses, excuses. They sure sound good! How could I ever do that? I don’t have the training or money or…
Ways to Find Hope from Impossible Marriages that Survived
Marriage is both beautiful and hard. Sometimes it seems impossible. In today’s world we constantly see marriages ending. That may…
The Dangers of Rule-Based Christianity
Rule-based Christianity is dangerous. Doubt that? Surely at some point you’ve had a parent or teacher or boss or leader…
What to do When Frustrated that Your Prayer Isn’t Working
As a Christian your head believes prayer works, and you might even try to “defend” God if someone tries to…
Three Things To Do Between Mountaintop Experiences
Yesterday God showed up. Perhaps you experienced the power of God like Elijah did, calling down fire from heaven. Perhaps…
How to Have an Encounter with God
A few years ago I was privileged to travel to Bangalore, India. Hundreds of thousands of Christians from all over…
When Sex Gets in the Way of Pursuing Intimacy
God created you with the need, desire, and capacity for intimacy. When you said “I do” you expected intimacy, including…
Is It Gossip, Loyalty, Cover-up, or Getting Help?
Should you tell? Does keeping it hidden mean you’re being loyal – to the family? To the church? Does telling…
How to Deal with Doubt and Make the Choice to Believe
Is God real? Can He be trusted? Is He good? Is He for me? Where is God when it hurts?…
Are You Taking the Next Steps Toward Transformation?
You know things aren’t yet the way they should be. Perhaps you’re frustrated and discouraged. You’ve prayed, and things don’t…
How to Celebrate Your Transformation Before You’re Done
How is your life different because of Jesus? You don’t have to be “done” to celebrate your transformation! You didn’t…
Uncovering the Heart of a Christian Man
It may be somewhat dangerous to write specifically to men. I’m not a man, and I speak carefully. Some things…
What it Means to Trust God With Your Marriage
Your marriage is struggling. You pray (and you should!). But when you pray it’s easy to fall into one of…
How to “Forget the Past” When it Haunts You
You’ve messed up. Perhaps you’ve messed up a lot over a long period of time. You’d like things to be…
What it Means for God to Make Everything Right
What’s wrong in your life right now? Oh, like me you may be very grateful for many things. I hope…
What Makes God Angry: It’s Not What You Think
I’ve sensed God’s anger. And it’s one of the most empowering, refreshing, encouraging parts of my recent walk with God.…
Recovering from Spiritual Abuse
When you’ve been harmed in the name of God, the path to wholeness is long and slow. Last time we…
Five Ways to Pray About Your Troubled Marriage
Every marriage faces challenges. And praying is the best thing you can do. God loves to do miracles! He is…
When You’ve Been Harmed in the Name of God
It’s not just a salacious news article or one more statistic when it’s happened to you. When “God” is used…
When Praying to Restore Your Marriage Isn’t Working
It’s dangerous to even imply that prayer isn’t enough. That seems to go against what any “good” Christian believes. And…
Caring for Your Heart When Your Spouse Won’t Connect
You were created for intimacy. You probably got married expecting that doing so would fulfill your needs for connection, love,…
Overcoming the Fear of Dealing with Your Sexual Stuff
There are good reasons for you to hold back. Fear is a big part of why you keep hiding. Getting…
