Feeling Abandoned by God When You’re Sick
Physical illness, especially when it’s long-term, can unsettle your world. It saps your energy and possibly your finances. It throws…
meaning
Positive Spirituality: What’s Good for You?
Is spirituality good for you? You might expect me to claim that Christianity or, more generically, spirituality is a good…
The Ministry of Presence: Being There
Sometimes you can tell somebody what they need to know. That feels good. Sometimes you can fix things for them.…
To the Woman Whose Husband is Addicted to Pornography
I hear from you regularly, you whose husband’s eyes are filled with many other women and not with you. You…
What’s In Your Hand: Using Your God-given Talents
Perhaps you’ve said “I want God to use me!” I know many believers who feel that way. Perhaps your daily…
The 3 Stages of God’s Purpose for You
You’re a husband, a mom, a banker, a teacher, a nurse, a truck driver, a construction worker, a radio operator,…
How Your View of God Affects Your Health
There has been considerable debate for centuries about the correlation between spirituality and health. One of the most interesting findings…
How Would You Live If You Knew . . .
Most of us really don’t know. And perhaps that’s a good thing. We don’t know when the next life-altering event…
How to Grow Your Character
In some ways your character is like your closet, your car, or your bank account. Of course it’s much more…
Are You A Second-Class Christian?
It had been a couple years since I had heard from her. Yesterday her message was painful to read: “My…
4 Ways Your Health Impacts Your Spiritual Life
We have some wonderful friends who work with the organ donation program in our home state. Nancy, a veteran transplant…
You Don’t Have To Be Happily Married
There’s no checkbox for “relationship status” on the employment application God gives you. And regardless of how the culture in…
How Shall We Then Live?
Yesterday we celebrated Easter in remembrance of when Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again. The historical evidence…
Christianity in One Word
Denominations. Cultures. Traditional vs. contemporary. Grace vs. good works. Community. Just love everyone. What is Christianity really about anyway? Controversy…
Why Do Some People Beat the Odds?
Why do some people beat the odds and others don’t? Some people remain stuck. Their addictions are just as strong…
Who Should You Ask For Help
When you’re successful at doing it all on your own you’re left with feelings of accomplishment and pride. More often,…
10 Places to Find Quiet in a Noisy World
The world is becoming increasingly urbanized. Gone are the days when the majority of people lived in a small town…
How to Get Through Spiritual Dryness
Something just feels off. You try to pray, but it feels as though no one is listening. You try to…
How to Turn It Over to God
In Christian-eze it’s been said various ways: “Give it to God.” “Turn it over to God.” “Let God do the…
How to Pray When Making a Big Decision
Taking a business risk. Getting married. Going back to school. Moving to another city. There are times in your life…
What’s GOOD About Shame?
Can there ever be anything good about shame? You may have heard it a lot: “You ought to be ashamed…
God Wants You Uncomfortable
“God, help me, please!” I believe God loves those prayers. There’s never a wrong time to pray, though sadly it…
Six Things I’d Say To My Younger Self
I just had a birthday. At my age that’s both good news and bad news. I’m glad I’m still here.…
If Grace Is Free, Why Is It So Costly?
Have you ever been presented with an extravagant gift, and only later realized how much it would actually cost you?…
How Do You Know What God Wants You To Do?
Somewhere in the deep parts of our souls we feel as though there must to be more to our lives than earning…
Why Do You Go To Church?
On Sunday morning, or whenever you go to church, what are you looking for? What do you expect when you…
Why You Should Let God Bake Your Bread
People get hungry. Some people starve. Sometimes hunger becomes a matter of life and death. If you don’t eat you’ll…
Reading the Bible in the 21st Century
One of the most amazing ongoing miracles is how God’s Holy Spirit takes words from His Word and uses them…
“I Want to Do More in 2015”
The beginning of the New Year is a bittersweet time for many. Looking back, you may regret some things about…
Did Christmas Disappoint You?
For most of us, yesterday was Christmas. The gifts have been opened. The food has been eaten. The Christmas carols…
What the Best and Worst of Sexuality Tells Us About God
Sexuality tells us about God. For some, putting “God” and “sex” in the same sentence might seem sacrilegious. The only…
How To Become A Real Christian
Standing in the garage doesn’t make you a car. Getting inside the oven doesn’t make you a biscuit. And going…
What The Bible Says To Those Struggling With Infertility
There is probably no place in modern medicine where ethics, morality, and science collide with a more resounding crash than…
What A Christian Does When Faced With Evil
A lot of bad things are happening in this world. And that’s nothing new. Right now we’re hearing a lot…
How to Pray When You Don’t Know How
You talk with your family and friends. You send text messages, write emails, and post updates on social media. You…
5 Steps To Getting Out Of A Funk
There’s not a human being alive who doesn’t have a bad day occasionally. And for some people it seems those…
2 Attitudes About People That Will Make You Miserable
In a classic Peanuts cartoon Linus wants to be a doctor. The always negative Lucy says he could never be…
Helping the REAL Problem
Trying to fix spiritual problems with physical “fixes” doesn’t work. And trying to fix physical problems with spiritual activities rarely…
Why You Should Want To Go To Heaven
Do you really want to go to heaven? Really? Or are you hoping Jesus won’t come back for a while?…
What To Do When EVERYTHING Is Going Wrong
You’re resilient. You’ve met problems before, and you know how to push through when things get difficult. You’re a “can-do”…
13 Things On A Bucket List For Christians
Wanting to “kiss at the top of the Empire State Building,” or “learn to play guitar” may be great goals. But if you believe that God has a purpose for your life, there are some other things that should be on your “bucket list” for sure. Here are some things you don’t want to get to the end of your life without having accomplished:
7 Things The Bible Says To Those Who Are Poor
There are few topics on which the Bible has more to say than the topic of money. And there are plenty of distortions of Biblical truths on the subject. Those on the political right and political left have found plenty of Biblical proof texts for their positions. And sadly someone’s position on what the Bible says can often be determined by their net worth.
But for those who are in need of material things, here are some specific things that the Bible makes clear:
How God Makes A “Real Man”
God’s not done creating and recreating men, remember. God still needs your viril strength, your adventurous or creative spirit, and your protecting, leading presence. Yes, those dreams you had as a little boy do need to grow up. But don’t just let them go.
In The War On Women, Are You A Victim, A Survivor, Or A Warrior?
There’s been a lot of talk about a war against women recently. I agree! There HAS been a war against women, but it’s not the war that’s being talked about in much of the progressive media. It’s a war that’s much older, much more sinister, and much more dangerous, than anything related to healthcare or so-called reproductive rights.
Free From the Gold, the Girls, and the Glory
With painful regularity yet another preacher gets caught in a scandal. Donated funds have been diverted to personal use. An inappropriate sexual relationship is discovered. The “ministry” has become focused on someone’s personality rather than God’s work.
One more of God’s servants has fallen to the lure of the gold, the girls, or the glory.
What Would You Do If You KNEW What God Told You Was True?
I’ve read the Bible many times, but I still remember a Bible story book I had a child. It told the story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35-41). Fearing for their lives, the disciples were valiantly trying to save themselves and the boat. They awoke Jesus, asleep in the boat, who then stood and spoke to the wind and waves. “Peace, be still!” And everything became quiet.
24 Things Your Spouse May Be Feeling When They Seem Upset With You
Your husband is giving you the silent treatment. You immediately think he’s angry with you, and you want to call him on it. You feel yourself getting angry in return. “Why won’t you talk to me?”
Your wife is irritable and distracted, and hasn’t taken care of what you asked her to do today. You’re frustrated, and want to lash out at her. “Why can’t you take care of something so simple?”
10 Ways You Can Worship God
As a human being you were made to worship. Even though most of us get completely self-absorbed too often, you as an individual human being are not big enough to worship.
As incredibly valuable as you are to God, to others, and to the world, God has left Himself indispensable.
But showing God the worship He is worthy of does not happen in an hour or two each week in some church service, as important as that is. Worship is a lifestyle.
Forgiveness Is Not Enough
The forgiveness step in salvation, as wonderful as it is, is only one small piece. Jesus, Paul, and other New Testament writers present a much more radical picture of what it means to become a follower of Jesus.
He presented an unbelievably high standard of behavior, character, and service. Jesus showed that He is much more interested in your future than your past.
What To Do When You Don’t Feel Like Reading the Bible
There’s that little voice in your head that says, “Read the Bible!” Intellectually you accept the fact that as a Christian, reading the Bible would be a good thing to do. But you don’t feel like it.
Here are a few thoughts on what to do at those moments when you just don’t feel like reading the Bible.
