Purpose & Satisfaction

True satisfaction comes from knowing that what we are doing is part of God's purpose for our lives. People do not find meaning in their lives from education or knowledge, from money, success, pleasure, work, or friends. Lasting pleasure, happiness or peace is only possible when we living out God's purpose in creating us.

Clear Conscience

The absence of guilt is not an accurate barometer of whether or not we're doing what's right. Because we are capable of denying reality, we cannot measure obedience by our feelings. Moreover, you cannot say that you are a Christ follower unless you do what He says. (1 John 2:3-6)

God's Mercy

God is merciful, even to rebels and hellions. All He asks is that they repent - confessing their sin and turning away from their sin. When anyone comes to a place where they're willing to do that, there is no end to the mercy that God has for them

Power in Prayer

The Old Testament prophet Daniel knew how to pray. As he prayed, he fasted, confessed his sins, and pleaded that God would reveal His will. He prayed with complete surrender to God and with complete openness to what God was saying to him.

This is how we must pray as well!

When we pray, we must first examine our intent. Are we really seeking God's will and His perspective --- or are we simply giving Him our will and our perspective? When we pray, we must talk to God with openness, honestly, vulnerability ... and be truly expecting God to reply.

Prayerful Leadership

Truly great leaders have an effective prayer life. They have a disciplined prayer life. They realize that prayer is their lifeline to God and they refuse to all ow the pressures of their day to cut into their prayer time. They pray about everything, and they pray without ceasing. Most importantly, their decisions are only made after they've been prayed over.

Difficult Circumstances

When we face difficult circumstances, we should ask ourselves if God has reason to send judgment on us. Even if He doesn't, we should consider what possible purpose God might have in sending or allow those circumstances to come upon us. There are no coincidences, and God is a purposeful God. This is not only true in good times. It's just as true in bad times.

Christ in Christmas

Anyone who can leave the Christ out of Christmas has missed the most important point of Christmas. We are broken people, in desparate need of a Savior. Unless we realize that, the birth of this Savior won't really mean much to us.

Leading Alone?

A capable leader will never do all the work alone. Rather he or she will have two specific skill sets that are active in their role as leader. The first is the ability to delegate, and to know what to delegate and when. The second skill is the ability to involve everyone, encourage everyone, and build a loyal team of followers to whom work can be delegated.

Stand for God

When you take a stand for God, you will stand out. Christ-followers can never be wallflowers. You will not "fit in" when you're standing for God. Standing out may be painful, and it may not always bring a happy ending. So those who profess to follow Christ should be prepared to take a stand for God without using the results as criteria for the decision you make to take that stand.

Relational God

When we leave God out of our most important relationships, we tend to expect these relationships to meet needs in us that only God can meet. Friends are helpful in that they make life more enjoyable and hardships more bearable. But friends cannot meet our deepest spiritual needs.

Leaving God out of our relationships indicates how unimportant He really is in our own life too. Our relationship with God should be important enough to touch all our other relationships - especially our close friendships.

Wisdom & Convictions

Wisdom is convicted - and puts its convictions into practice. It acts on its convictions. Conviction - in this way - keeps us a step ahead of temptation. conviction in turn gives us wisdom and stability even in unstable circumstances. Quite convictions that are acted on usually win long term respect.

Dieting

Our physical and spiritual diets are both an important part of our relationship with God. He wants us to eat carefully and live prayerfully.

Prayer & Panic

Prayer is considerably more effective than panic and worry. In fact, panic and worry just confirm your hopelessness. But prayer confirms your hope.

Formula for Suffering

A high calling from God, coupled with low living in this world results in deep suffering.

Spiritual Growth

We are to willingly come under God's discipline and learn what He wants to teach us. This includes several things on my part:

1. Silent reflection on what God wants (i.e., His commandments, guidelines).
2. Repentant humility --- owning my own brokenness.
3. Self-control in the face of adversity or temptation.
4. Confident patience in God to bring about loving lessons through my life experience.

God's people don't grow because they are God's people. Rather we grow because of our response to God and His ways.

God's Calling

When God calls you to a task or mission, He is invariably calling others to it as well. They are your co-workers in that task or mission. Together, your individual efforts will be multiplied by virtue of God's calling on everyone's life. Look for these people and join with them to build a beautiful "house" for God.

Power Changes

Power changes people. Whether it be in a company, a church, a family, a community, politics, or anywhere else, power changes everything. For those who have power, it expands their wants and desires. It increases their sense of entitlement. It expands their need for deference and respect. It also make them more ambitious. For these people who have power, it lessens their tolerance to obstacles - including the weaknesses of others. And it increases their unwillingness to take no for an answer. People who have power expect to get their way, when they want it.

On Hope

Even in the most hopeless of situations that we may face in life, God gives us hope. It is because real hope never comes from our circumstances or even from the facts. Rather it is found in God and in His truth. But the hope that He has for us cannot be possible without our committing ourselves to God through Jesus Christ.

Value of Timing

Wisely evaluating situations before jumping in further is often necessary and always prudent. It is always easier to wait for the proper timing than it is to repair damage done by being impetuous or compulsive.

Rewards for Good

Sometimes the good decisions we make or the good deeds that we do are rewarded only by our own sense of integrity. But we don't need the praise or the recognition of others to know that God is pleased with us. Knowing that we did well or decided well should be enough for us to continue on the right path that God leads us to.

Strong Faith

Strong faith enables us to see problems not as obstacles, but rather as opportunities for God to demonstrate His power. When we have an effective faith in God, our view of life and its challenges will emphasize the positive over the negative. We won't be overwhelmed by the apparent impossible. Instead, we will be energized by the eternal potential.

Racism

Racism is hatred. And this racial form of hatred is always sin. It denies the intrinsic value of God's own creation.

Peace

The Hebrew word for peace means much more than just the absence of conflict. It implies a complete sense of well being, health and contentment. Do you have peace then?

Personal Accountability

The principle of personal accountability is always necessary for anyone who seeks to live a life that is pleasing to God. Self discipline and self examination are always expected of and practiced by God's people.

Death of Doubts

Doubts and fears are only nourished by circumstances and ignorance. So feed your faith and expose yourself to God's truths. In the process, your doubts and fears will starve to death.

Clear Conscience?

Sometimes what we view as a clear conscience is simply the result of a bad memory. None of us is ever as righteous as we think we are. Rather memories selectively recall only those things that seem to make us out to be the person we want to be.

Condition Exposed

How we react to a moral dilemma often exposes our real motives and the true condition of our heart. If you are worried about being caught, for example, you are probably in a position that is less than honest or sincere.

Expressing Emotions

God gave us emotions for a reason. Even tears have a purpose. Our emotions are to be used honorably. It is an honest and respectful display of our feelings that draws us closer to others. In fact, to hide our feelings is a form of dishonesty. We need to learn to show our feelings in honest, respectful and loving ways.

On Cheaters

No one resents being cheated more than a cheater. If there is a characteristic in others that we find particularly annoying (such as cheating), we would do well to examine ourselves because it is probably one of our own.

Mistakes Rendered

Mistakes that we make - even big ones - can become insignificant through our sincere repentance and obedience to God. So it is that God can reverse the course of our worst mistake in life. He can help us right a wrong even. Said differently, God can redeem even the worst of situations. All he needs is our sincere repentance and obedience.

Forgiveness' Responsibility

God will forgive all sin. But His forgiveness comes with the responsibility to confess, make amends - repenting of that sin and turning to live the godly lives that He intended for us.

Pure Relationships

God's priorities for His people have always included pure relationships. God's people are to confess their sins to one another, make amends to each other, and work for reconciliation with each other - with the goal of establishing and maintaining unity with each other. Pure relationships, in that context, includes relationships that aren't defiled with anger, jealousy, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc.

Personal Holiness

God's relationship with His people extends to even the practical areas of every day living. (He cares about everything!) If our eating or drinking, for example, leads to escess, abuse or poor health, God is interested in that. He also holds us accountable to deal with the problem. Personal holiness relates even to these routine matters in life.

Marital Fidelity

Fidelity in marriage is central to God's plan for society and family. the bond of marriage is a foundational building block of society.

Fear & Serve

We are to fear and serve the Lord alone. This is based on the choice we make to obey Him. We are incapable of properly worshipping God because of our sin and rebellion. But by choosing God and choosing obedience, we enter into a covenant with Him --- whereby He promises not only to forgive and love us - but also to enable us by His Spirit.

Used By God

God often works through people whom we might typically be inclined to reject. They may appear to us to be rather ungodly, for example. Yet their faith - which is unseen by us - may indeed be sufficient for God's purposes. God uses even imperfect people - like me!

Nasty Jobs

Jobs that we don't enjoy require concentration, teamwork, twice as much time, lots of encouragement and real accountability. Yet doing such jobs may be precisely what God requires of us. What work does He have for you that you don't want to do?

Boundaries

Life has many walls and fences that divide, separate and compartmentalize. They are personal obstructions, blocking people from each other and from God. Where are your walls and fences? Who constructed them for you?

See A Christian?

Many people claim to be Christians - and we are not to judge them one way or the other. But a look at their life style may reveal much more about their true character and what they really believe. It will show us their values and indicate whether or not they've ordered their lives around Kingdom priorities. (Titus 1:16)

Leaders' Responsibility

Leaders are responsible for those who are entrusted to their care. IF you are a leader in any capacity, you would do well to remember that you are accountable to God for those whom you influence and lead.

Doing Right

Doing what is right is more than believing all the right doctrines about God. Is also requires us to live in relationship and obedience to God.

Only Jesus

There is no other name than that of Jesus for all of mankind to call on for salvation. This is the specific teaching of Jesus Himself. God made this designation and no one else can be His equal. Christians are to be open-mined about a lot of things. But we are never to be open-minded about how we are saved from sin.

Despair & Hope

So often Job said, especially in the early chapters of his story, words that I have often thought myself. My despair and anguish have seemed overwhelming at times. And yet I have a hope that transcends even my worst moments of despair. Such hope can only come from God Himself. It is supernaturally imparted to His children.

Righteous & Sinless

Righteousness and sinlessness are not the same thing. A righteous man (or woman) is not perfect. But he (or she) carefully obeys God to the best of their ability in all aspects of their life. Romans 3:23 tells us that nobody can be sinless ... it's not even humanly possible. Nevertheless each of us can be righteous. Learn the difference.

Expressing Emotion

God created each of us with the capacity for emotion. Typically our emotions are expressions of our feelings - or expressions of our spiritual and emotional state. You have to ask yourself why God did that. In our culture, we often try to suppress our feelings - not expressing them, not talking about them and of course not dealing with them. But this is selfish. Expressed in a manner that is respectful of others and representative of minds that are in line with God's ... expressing our feelings or emotions can be strong tools to build and strengthen relationships.

"How Are You?"

When people ask how you are, a natural inclination for many of us is to simply say something like, "Oh fine." But this is lying if that's not the case. We may have a sincere motive ... not wanting to burden them with our issues or not wanting to draw attention to ourselves. But valor requires us to look to God for a better answer that can be given truthfully. Dishonesty does nothing to build relationships. So when someone asks how you are, consider the fact that they may have sincere motives for asking. And commit to giving them the answer that they deserve.

Creation's Purpose

In the beginning God created. Have you ever wondered why He did? Basically the purpose of all creation is simply to please God. It pleased Him to create the heavens and the earth. It pleased Him to separate the land from the sea, and to stock it all with animals, ocean life, birds, etc. And it especially pleased God to create mankind. Whenever you want to question the point of your life, just remember that you exist to please God. It is as simple as that.

Seek Ye First ...

Matthew 6:33 tells us, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all of these things will be added unto you." Have you ever wondered all of what things? We all should really contemplate that. When we seek Him first, He provides us with peace, prosperity, wisdom and much, much more. Did you know the reward could be so rich?

Building False Gods

No one sets out to worship a false god. But the amount of time we devote to anyone or anything can allow that object of our attention to grow into the role of a false god --- because it occupies or even controls our thoughts and energies.

Pride's Lies

Pride can be defined as any attitude or thinking that elevates our efforts or abilities above the recognition of God's efforts or abilities. It may even treat with disdain God's work in us. Pride causes us to congratulate ourselves for our successes and to look down on other people who don't rival our successes. Pride says simply, "If I did it and you didn't, then I am better than you." Pride lies to us.

Tithing

When it comes to money, God's people are to tithe as if it were a tax. Fully 10% of our gross income (not just taxable income) belongs to God. The church should use 10% of that tithe to support church staff. The other 90% of that tithe is to support the church's ministries (including the facilities that it uses).

Working for God

Whatever your job is ... whatever work that you do ... anywhere and any time ... God is concerned about the quality of your work. Your work should always reflect the creative abilities and strengths that God gave you. Moreover, your work should always be a positive reflection of who God is in your life.

God Speaks

God desires to give His people - His children, guidance and direction for everyday living. In these modern times, life is more complicated and we fundamentally need more guidance and direction in order to cope successfully. So ... God has more to say to you and I than He did to our ancestors. How well are we listening?

Heart's Devotion

The heart has, for centuries, been considered the core of our intellect and spirit. All people have someone or something as the object of their heart - someone or something that they are devoted to. They could be good things - like our children. But every one of them also has the potential to become an idol in our hearts (even if they started out as good things). We must never let anyone or anything captivate our allegiance or imagination in such a way that it replaces or weakens our devotion to God.

Ineffective Teaching

When religious leaders mislead people with false teaching or by failing to teach them the truth, they are lying to God's people who, in their sinful nature, love to listen to such lies. But these leaders are killing people who should not die and promising life to those who should not live. (Ezekiel 13:19 & 22)

Singleness of Heart

In Ezekiel 11:19, God promises to give "singleness of heart" to people who turn or return to Him. Singleness of heart means a unanimous singleness of purpose. God's people become content with God. They don't have to seek anything else. The hard, deaf, immovable heart of stone will be radically transformed into a tender, receptive and responsive heart (Jeremiah 32:39 or Ezekiel 18:31). This new life and its heart can only be the work of the Holy Spirit. When we recognize God and His work, and turn from our sin, God will give us new motives, new guidelines and new purpose.

Idols in Our Hearts

God condemns and promises He will punish so-called Christians who, as He puts it, "set up idols in their hearts." We have idols in our hearts when we pursue reputation, acceptance, wealth or sensual pleasure with the intensity and fervor that should be reserved for God.

On Grief

Sometimes our grief could actually be caused by circumstances or events in our lives that represent God's punishment for sins - our own and/or the sins of others. Regardless of the source of our grief though, our grief should turn us more toward God than away from Him.

Blinding Factors

Sometimes our prosperity, popularity or human strengths and abilities blind us to our spiritual helplessness.

Money's Dilemma

Money has a strange and unique ability to lead people into sin. It causes us to make bad choices and do wrong things - which displeases or even angers God. It is ironic that we use money - which itself is a gift form God - to buy things or pursue things and do things that separate us from God. Moreover, it is tragic that we spend so much money seeking to satisfy ourselves and so little time seeking God - who is the true source of satisfaction.

Hope

God's people are never left without hope. No matter what our circumstances look like, we who are in Christ are never left without explanation and direction. God is always in control, He will guide us through our troubles (Psalm 23), and there is hope for the future that God has planned for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11).

Faulty Thinking

Many people have faulty thinking. As a result, the ideas that result from that thinking are also flawed. Faulty thinking is thinking that is not grounded in truth. It is the product of ignorance of God's Word. Said differently, if you don't read your Bible and you don't know what it says, you are ignorant and your thinking will be flawed. This is true no matter how intelligent the world thinks you are.

Obedience Struggle

If I'm struggling with my obedience to God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, I need to consider whether or not I have a correct understanding of who God is. An accurate understanding of who God is yields obedience on my part.

Right Response?

Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. When we understand this profound truth, the only adequate response is worship. When we have a correct understanding of Christ, our great desire will be to obey Him. (It's what we are wired for!)

Submission

Submission in God's perspective is not strength that is conquered against its will. Rather it is strength that is deliberately controlled for a purpose.

Humility

Humility is not self degradation. It is realistic, self assessment and commitment to serve.

Unconfessed Sin

If you have unconfessed sin in your life, confess it to God and to someone who is trustworthy and will pray with you about it. Turn away from that sin then and continue the process of repentance. Confession releases God's mercy. If you refuse however, to repent and confess - you are deliberately inviting God's judgment. Is that really what you want to do?

Lead With Forgiveness

The Bible has always been clear about the matter of forgiveness. God forgives our sins - under certain conditions (i.e., we profess Christ). And God expects us to forgive each other. In fact, He says if you don't forgive then you yourself won't be forgiven. And it is this forgiveness of God that we pass on to those around us.

How does God's particular brand of forgiveness work? Well, it's a forgiveness that isn't dependent on how sorry the offender is. It doesn't matter who is right or who is wrong. It makes no difference whether the offense was intentional or truly accidental. Why? Because God decided to forgive us before we had committed any sin at all. He decided to lead with forgiveness in His relationship with us. And so Christ-followers are called to do the same.

We don't need all the facts in order to dispense our forgiveness. We don't need to know how much it'll cost to fix my car that you wrecked. We lead with forgiveness. And in turn we are forgiven.

Spiritual Beings

In the beginning, God created mankind in His own image. We would do well to remember what image that was. It was a spiritual image. God had not yet taken a human form, so he had no human image at that time. No matter what you believe about the creation story, you must remember that you've been a spiritual being whom God knew and loved even before you were formed in your mother's womb here on earth. So it is that you are this spiritual being, simply having a human experience. You are not a human trying to be spiritual.

Modern Religion

In an age where religion seems to be making little or no difference in people's lives, God still expects His people to do what is right - show mercy to others and walk humbly with Him.

Sin Gets Easier

Any sin seems more natural the second time we commit it. This is because we become hardened to it and each repetition gets easier. Ignoring or refusing God's ways hardens our heart teach time you don wrong.

Unbelief

Unbelief blinds people to truth and robs them of hope. So if someone doesn't believe that they are lovable, they won't be able to see that someone loves them. They won't ever have real hope that anyone will love them in the future.

Love Yourself

There is a book called "Blue Like Jazz." It's written by Donald Miller. In it, Miller says that any person who think of himself or herself as unlovable cannot be in a true relationship with God. This is because they can't accept who God is --- a being that is love.

We learn that we are lovable or unlovable from other people - usually before we even meet God or become cognizant of who he is. So when others love us and teach us that we are lovable, we can better interact with God. Our relationship with Him is based on love.

Victory's Secret

Victory does not depend on my own strength, wit, or resourcefulness. Rather the secret to victory lies in my obedience and commitment to God. Live obediently and live victoriously.

Hebrews Learning

Hebrews 5:12-14 tells me that I must:

1. Learn discernment. I must train my conscience, my senses, my mind, and my body to distinguish good from evil in every way.
2. Learn to recognize temptation before it traps me.
3. Learn to recognize the difference between a correct use of Scripture and a mistaken use of Scripture.

Ineffective Learning

It is possible to be a perpetual student, and never graduate to putting theory into practice. But honest seekers of God's truth and authentic students of Jesus' teachings look for answers that they can make practical application with.

Doing Right

Jesus gives us the power to do what is right, and the Holy Spirit provides the wisdom to discern what right is. Lord, let me have the willingness to live a righteous life that is no only worthy of your name, but that glorifies you.

Christian Problems

As we live for Christ, we will experience troubles because we are trying to be Gods people in a perverse world. If we aren't experiencing any troubles, then perhaps we fit just a little too well into this perverse world (and may be perverse ourselves).

Believer's Hope

A believer's hope is really just in the return of Christ. Without that hope, our whole perspective on life is incomplete. And if we hope for anything else, we're holding onto a false hope, at best.

Conscience Ignored

Each time you deliberately ignore your conscience, you are hardening your heart. Over time, such a habit will actually diminish your ability to tell right from wrong.

Debating Scripture

Arguing about details of the Bible can send us off on interesting ... but irrelevant tangents and cause us to miss the intent of God's message.

Bible Scholars

Bible scholars may know the Bible, but it is possible that they also miss the message God has for them if they focus only on the material. In fact, one could memorize the whole Bible and still miss its message.

Dependable Help

Dependable assistance can only come from an ally whose power is from God. When I seek "wise counsel" I must go to Christ followers who get their wisdom from God Himself. No one else will ever be as wise as I think they are.

Sure Failure

To fail to learn from our failures and mistakes assures us of future failures. It is that simple.

Sound Mind

The farther away from God we are, the more confused our thinking becomes. A close relationship with God is the surest way to a sound mind, clear thinking and good choices in our lives.

Count the Cost

It is easy to lose the joy of serving God when we take our eyes off of Him. The more we look away from God's purposes toward our own sacrifices or suffering, the more frustrated we will become. When serving God, I must beware of focusing on what I am giving up or going through. The cost is to be measured before I serve Him --- and now while I serve Him.

His Provision

God promises His obedient servants that He will be with us and provide whatever we need to endure, whatever we need to succeed in whatever we are confronted with. As we minister to others, we must recognize that our service is for God and not just for human approval. God rewards our faithfulness, even if not always during our lifetime here on earth.

Jesus the Leader

We are all encouraged by a leader who stirs us to move ahead, someone who believes we can do the task he (or she) has given and someone who will be with us all the way. God is that kind of leader. Additionally, He knows the future and His plans for us are good and full of hope. Jesus on leadership!

On Repentance

Repentance is a true measure of spiritual sensitivity. Repentance means being grieved by our own sin, asking for forgiveness, making whatever amends are possible and abandoning our sinful ways - turning toward righteousness. Without all of these elements - repentance is incomplete at best.

Strong Willed People

Our society admires assertiveness, independence, and defiance of authority (breaking rules or finding "loopholes"). In a relationship with God, these so-called "qualities" become stubbornness, self-importance, and refusal to listen or change. Left unchecked, this stubbornness becomes a way of life that is hostile to God.

Love Gives

1 Corinthians 13 gives us a wonderful definition of love. Ironically, it is all about what love gives --- and never about what love gets. In fact, you can search the Bible through and through, and you'll never find examples of love getting anything. It only gives. And sometimes love's giving is painful, sacrificial and extraordinary. Are you ready to love?

Life Expectations

Our expectations about life will be extremely limited if this human life on earth is all that we can see. Life is always much bigger than any human perspective.

Deceptive Virtues

Our society seems to value assertiveness, independence, and defiance to authority. We admire, for example, people who can "get around the rules." But in a relationship with God, these same characteristics become stubbornness, self importance, and refusal to listen or change. They are manifested in an inability and unwillingness to surrender and submit to God's ways or His plan for our lives. Worse yet, stubbornness, when left unchecked, becomes a way of life that is hostile to God!

Pride's Influence

What is it about pride that makes it so harmful? What makes pride so dangerous to humans and even more so to Christ-followers?

1. It causes us to look down on others.
2. It causes us to be selfish with our resources.
3. It forces our so-called solutions on other people's problems.
4. It causes us to think of God's blessings as being somehow tied to our own merit.
5. It enables us to be content with our own plans instead of seeking God's plans.

Useless from Pride

Proud people may look important. They may even look like solid Christians - called and anointed by God Himself. But God says pride makes them "good for nothing, completely useless." (Jeremiah 13:1-11)

Pride rots our hearts to the point that we become completely useless to God.

Loyalty's Dangers

Our loyalties to anyone or anything always carry a hidden danger --- arrogance. Even people who were once truly close to God can become useless to Him because of their pride.

On Adversity

As Christians if we hide in the face of adversity, our testimony is compromised. But calling on God in the face of adversity actually strengthens our witness for Christ.

Repentance

Repentance demands a change of mind and a changes of heart. Those in turn result in changed behavior.

Loving His Way

How can we love others the way Jesus loves them?
How can we love others the way Jesus loves us?

By helping when it's not convenient.
By giving when it's hurts for you to give.
By devoting energy to the welfare of others (instead of yourself).
By absorbing hurts from others without complaining or fighting back.

This kind of loving is hard to do. It doesn't come natural to any of us. That's why when we do it people notice and they know that we are empowered by a supernatural source.

Jesus' Desires

Jesus said no to His human desires in order to obey His Father and glorify Him. That is the Jesus --- and the character that I want to live in me!

God's Enough

You don't know that God is all you need until God is all you have. Said differently, it is only when you are faced with your need for God that you realize the folly of all your other so-called needs.

Being A Barnabas

New Christians, especially those with tarnished reputations and pasts, need sponsors - people who come alongside, encourage, teach and introduce them to other Christians. This is what "being a Barnabas" is really all about.

Mission Abandoned?

When God gives us a mission, it must not get polluted by a desire for approval from others or from society in general. When we are willing to adapt to the customs of those around us, we effectively abandon our God-given mission in life.

Poor Ignored

Throughout history, there have always been people who had excess, yet who tended to value financial gain or preservation more highly than they value the poor. So they feel justified in preserving their wealth --- while the poor go wanting. (Of course, this is sin.)

Releasing Power

Today, many people are familiar with who Jesus is. But nothing in their lives is changed. They have failed to respond to Jesus properly. They seem satisfied with mere familiarity. Unfortunately, it is only through a deep faith in Christ and obedience to Christ that God's healing power is released to bring us victorious life --- in Christ.

Made Wrong

An action that may not be wrong in itself can be sinful if it is motivated by greed, pride, arrogance, selfishness, etc. Often our motives, not the action itself, contain the sin. We must constantly weigh our motives before we act.

Maturing Vision

Mature Christians can see with eyes of faith. The size of their problems means nothing - as long as they know they are on the Lord's side. Victory is not by might or by power. It is not by medicine, science or government either. It's not even by the economy. But victory is by His Spirit, "says the Lord!" (Zechariah 4:6)) God's people are encouraged in the face of adversity and they can encourage others - only because they know where they stand with God. People in good standing with God have no fear. Period.

Success & Failure

We are never closer to failure than during our greatest successes. If we fail to recognize God's part in our achievements, they are no better than our failures.

What God Wants

God wants us to give Him not only the major decisions and challenges in our lives, but also the smaller things that we are often fooled into thinking we can handle on our own.

Explaining Scripture

In many instances Scripture must be used to explain and comment on itself. So we must be familiar with the entire scope of the Bible in order to understand its more difficult (i.e., complex) sections.

God's Breath

If God were to take back His Spirit and withdraw His breath, all life would cease and all of humanity would turn to dust. (Job 34:14)

True Confession

Confession is more than just appropriating God's forgiveness. Rather confession is agreeing with God that our thoughts, words and actions have been wrong and contrary to His will. It is recommitting ourselves to do His will and renouncing any acts of disobedience that we're aware of. We do not need to confess sins that were previously confessed though. Confession involves turning away from all known sin and asking God for fresh power to live for Him.

Choosing Faith

Our responsibility as Christians is to choose by faith to believe what God says even if we don't feel it or have doubts. When we honor God in this way, we create an environment in which His Spirit can gradually conform our feelings to the truth.

Benefits of Aging

Older men are more aware of their sins than younger men. Apparently age and experience in life temper youthful self-righteousness. So the older and more experienced I am, the more conscious I am of my desperate need for a Savior - and the more grateful I am that I have one.

Along with this phenomenon, I also see that the more emotionally and spiritually mature I become, the less I am able to embrace a victim role. (I wonder if it is like this for everyone else.)

Leaders Build

Good leaders build themselves up. Great leaders build others up.

Seeing Truth

Pride can often partially or even completely obscure our view of truth. Similarly, fear can keep me from knowing truth even when I see it.

Holdong Onto Truth

It is easy to think that we have the truth and that those who disagree with us do not. But that is a product of our fallen, human nature. Moreover, when we act on that thinking we also assume (believe?) that if others just had the same facts as we do they would be in agreement with us. This too is folly. WE must keep ourselves engaged in a vigilant quest for truth - and never assume that we have it or have all of it ... for we can never know what we do not know.

Bible Response

It is not possible to read the Bible without having a response, or at least a need to respond.

Imperfect Forgiveness

Forgiveness is required of Christ-followers. But our humanity makes that forgiveness less than perfect. Because we have memories and because the injustices that we suffer may never be made right in this lifetime, the unforgiveness may stalk us. Said differently, our love is not perfect. Our worship is not perfect. Our humility is not perfect. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that our forgiveness is not perfect. In fact, it will take Jesus Christ in us to perfect our forgiveness. And He may take a lifetime to do that.

Human Failure

The depths of human failure seem to be found in four ways:

1. When we let anything become more important in our lives than God.
2. When we make poor alliances with those who don't share our values.
3. When our conscience becomes desensitized to right and wrong.
4. When we are no longer able to discern God's will for our lives.

Repentance

The hardest part of repentance is changing the attitudes and wrong thinking that originally produced the sinful behavior and poor choices. It may include false beliefs (i.e., believing things that aren't true). It may also include the sin of unbelief (i.e., not believing things that are true). Finally, it may include ignorance (i.e., not knowing the truth).

Leaders' Impact

Leaders profoundly impact the people that they lead. They can either encourage or discourage devotion to God both by their example and by the structure they give their organization. Good leaders put no obstacles to faith in God or to right living in front of their people. In fact, the best leaders work to identify and remove such obstacles. These truths apply to any kind of organization, whether secular or religious.

Rich & Poor

When government ignores the policies of justice and fairness, the rich become richer and the poor become poorer. Who know the government had such power over our wealth?

Late To Worship

People who are habitually late for church and arrive in their seats well after the worship has started have a problem. They don't really know who God is. If we truly recognize God for who He is, it will be impossible for us to consider being late for worship acceptable. Corporate worship is an obligation of Christ-followers and a privilege of Americans.

God's Love

We can't know the depth of Christ's love for us unless we come to grips with the fact that He knows us completely. Otherwise we would be fooled into believing that He loves the people we pretend to be - versus the sinners that we actually are. It is this knowing of God's love that ends up being the catalyst for real change in my life.

Love

Being loved is the most powerful motivation in the human experience. Our ability to love is usually shaped by our experience with love. So we usually love others as we have been loved.

God's Justice

When we cry out to God for justice, we must realize that we ourselves would be in big trouble if He dispensed it as we most likely have asked Him to. God usually doesn't give our enemies what we think they deserve. Likewise, He usually doesn't give us what we deserve either.

Love God

To love God means more than being enthusiastic about Him. We must complete all the work He gives us and we must apply His instructions to every corner of our lives. Anything less is not love for God.

Limits of Understanding

Sometimes we may ask God for understanding that we are not capable of possessing. It is possible for us to want knowledge that is beyond our ability to comprehend or accept. This could appear to us as if it is a failure on God's part to answer our prayers. But God can only give us that which fits inside our human perspective. The rest will have to wait for our spiritual renewal (in heaven).

Faith in God

Faith in the one true God does not offer short term benefits that would appeal to our sinful human nature. In other words, we cannot fulfill the requirements of Christianity and still be selfish or self-serving in any way.

Wrestling Truth

Christians - more than anyone else - should wrestle with beliefs. We must each get to a black-and-white understanding of everything. If we are looking for God's perspective on anything, that would be His perspective - black-and-white. There are no gray areas with God. There's no relativity. No questions about what's true or what's right - and what's not.

Most of us move toward God's perspective on things by asking Him to help us see, hear and think His way. We can also ask ourselves four (4) important questions as we wrestle with a belief.

1. Are there important facts that I am overlooking - or could there be important facts that I'm unaware of?
2. Is there any personal motive for me to take one position or another on this?
3. Does this conflict in any way with Scripture? Does Scripture support the position I want to take on this?
4. Ar there any Biblical parallels that would help me know what to believe?

Praise & Sin

We cannot truly praise God and willfully sin at the same time. That would be like going to be with a neighbor to celebrate my wedding anniversary. Our willful sin belies our words and reflects our true hearts. Willful sin indicates that I have not made Him Lord of my life.

The Mouth

The mouth can be used as a weapon or a tool ... hurting relationships or building them up. Most of us have received more words from others that are destructive. Every person is either a demolition site or a construction site. My words will make the difference in someones life today. My words will determine whether they are a demolition site or a construction site.

Going To Church

Attending church can be a chore or a delight. It comes a chore if we have unconfessed sin or lack a true love for the Lord. If we are close to God though, and have a proper relationship with Him, we will be eager to worship with others, to give tithes and offerings and to serve in His church.

Wisdom

There is a big difference between knowledge (having facts) and wisdom (the ability to apply facts to life). Without wisdom, knowledge is useless. Wisdom is a God-given gift that is only received as the result of an energetic search for God and His ways. God gives wisdom to those who seek Him. In fact, His wisdom is hidden from the rebellious, unbelieving, lazy and foolish people. None of them will ever become wise.

In the Valley

Psalm 84 speaks of walking through the "valley of weeping." Like the "valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23), I have often that as if I lived in those valleys. Yet there is a simple truth about those valleys in my life. It is that wherever I am walking (or residing) in my "valley of weeping," I am still a person who loves to spend time with God. And I see that those times are really opportunities to experience God's faithfulness all over again. They are, even when I'm not a aware of it, some of the most blessed times in my life.

Aligned Desires

A sincere desire to please God will always result in an alignment of one's desires with God's desires. You will love what God loves - and hate what God hates. If you love the Lord, you will hate evil. You will hate all manifestations of evil. And it won't be fun to sin any more.

The Powerful

Power used to lift the fallen and ease the burdens of the oppressed is power used well. People who are placed by God into positions of political or other power must not turn their backs on those in need.

Broken Heart

Lord, my heart is sometimes bitter, and my thoughts reflect sorrow and despair that I know isn't me. It's not my identity. But it causes me to look at others with scorn and to judge them. Sometimes it cause me to think of myself as better than others too. These are thoughts that I don't want to entertain. Yet they seem to come from nowhere. Father, search me and heal me where its needed. Call me to love others where its needed. And give me support where its needed. Move me from these unloving positions that I tend to take in life.

Favors From God

Oh God, I beg two favors from You before I die. First, help me never to lie - or be found to be a liar. Second, give me neither poverty or riches. Rather give me just enough in life to satisfy my needs.

Accountability

Obedience to God is of paramount importance. Simply put, there is nothing in life that is more important than obeying God. Rather than focusing on my entitlement or my rights, God is calling me to be far more accountable than I am familiar with. His vision for my accountability is far greater than I have even imagined.

And yet, Lord, You have blessed me richly. Your unmerited favor in my life and my love for You compel me to embrace your vision of my obedience and your standard for my accountability.

Basis for Greatness

When I fully understand who Christ is, my pride and self-centered ways will melt away. When I am content to do what God wants, and I am content to see Jesus honored for it, God will do great things through me. These things make up true humility, which is the basis for greatness in preaching, teaching or any other work I want to do for the Lord.

Effective Living

Effective living begins with a proper attitude toward God. Before religious words can come to your mouth, they must come from your heart. Let respect, humility, and servant hood characterize towards God and others. Only then can you begin to find the effective life in Christ that Jesus died to give you.

Keeping Up Appearances

Efforts that people expend on keeping up appearances (their bodies, homes, cars, etc.) are usually not the best priorities. That time and effort could be better spend finding the answers to sin in our life's and implementing course corrections to lead us into righteous and the character f Jesus Christ.

Ambition

While ambition can be a virtue in some people, it is easily perverted and is lost to good and righteous purposes. Inappropriate ambition is really just greed disguised as a virtue. As such, it is often accompanied by jealousy and even hatred.

Intentional Sin

Intentional sin, even on the part of adults, typically comes from an improper regard for God. Intentional sin results from an ignorance of who God really is. Put differently, it someone really knew who God is and who they are in Christ, it would be impossible for to intentionally commit blatant sin.

Child Defiance

A child who knowingly disobeys his or her parents challenges their authority and dares them to respond to that challenge. Both the act of defiance and the attitude of disrespect must be dealt with swiftly and firmly in order to lead that child to a better conclusion about who he or she is, who the parents are, and what boundaries are for.

Indifference Toward Sin

When the Israelites entered the promised land it was their indifferent attitude toward sin and evil that ultimately brought about their ruination. What will our indifference toward sin and evil do for us?

Worshiping God(s)

Idol worship is selfish because it focuses on what people can receive from that (false) god. The worship of the one true God, however, is just the opposite. God's true people are to be selfless - serving Him while expecting nothing in return from Him. We serve God for who He is and worship Him for all of His greatness an splendor. It is our appreciation for who He is and what He has already done that drives us to our deepest worship of him. We serve God for woe He is - not for what we can get from him.

Truth Measures

Truth cannot be measured by numbers or facts. It often stands against majority opinion or circumstances. Truth never changes because it is guaranteed by the nature and character of God - who is the truth. In fact, without Jesus, truth is not possible at all and is unobtainable by human beings. Without Jesus, life's deception would completely overwhelm us all.

Answered Prayers?

When you ask God for something and then get it, this does not mean He has agreed with you. If you have approached Him with a sinful attitude or asked with sinful motives - getting what you want may could prove to be costly.

Recognizing His Work

When a large body of Christ-followers is active for the Lord, He tends not to display His power in the form of mighty (miraculous) acts. Instead, He works through His people as they obey Him. When we realize this, we can begin to see the acts of God's love and power in more of the circumstances and learn that He is just as supernatural there and in that time as anywhere else in time or circumstances.

Worship Designed

In the Old Testament (particularly Leviticus) God establishes rules for Worship. It's set up on an orderly, regular pattern of fellowship with Him an and with other. It's God telling us how to celebrate our relationship with Him. Our worship today should demonstrate our devotion to God and our worship should be as purposeful as that which He designed for us centuries ago!

True & Not True

Just because I don't believe it doesn't mean that it's not true.
Just because I believe it doesn't mean that it is true.

People have been believing lies and not believing truths for centuries. And most of the time, they don't know the difference. They're not aware that they're believing lies and not believing truths - because they never imagine that they could believe anything that's not true.

True Happiness

True happiness is not in our power to attain. Humans are simply not capable of that which they aspire to. The problem? We will always want more than we have - and will never be happy with what we've got.

Waiting On the Lord

Waiting on the Lord means living with the very real expectation that God will fulfill His promises in His Word and strengthen us to rise above life's challenges.

Free Will

The desire to move away from restrictions - to gain our freedom - can also move us completely outside of God's will.

Strength Revealed

Oddly enough, the strongest man in the history of the world (Jesus) exhibited His great strength in humility, suffering for those He loved.

Christian Teachers

As Christians who teach or preach, we do not merely teach lessons from the life of a good teacher (Jesus). Rather we proclaim the reality of the resurrection of Christ. It has significant meaning that changes everything.

Disappearing Opposition

If we are faithful to God, obeying Him, honoring Him and seeking Him - He will make opposition in our lives disappear. Said differently, those who faithfully obey, honor and seek God can expect His favor in all aspects of their lives.

Good Judgment

God doesn't demand that our judgment be perfect in all situations. He simply expects us to trust in Him and then make the best decisions that we know how to make based on the information we have, the best criteria we can identify ... and our trust in God.

Making Life Work

When we stay in constant contact with God, we are much less likely to create painful circumstances for ourselves or others. Moreover, trying to control our own lives without God leads to struggle and confusion. He is the answer.

Wisdom Revealed

Wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. Most of us can find compelling reasons (justification) for anything we've done or want to do. But if we do not examine that thinking in the light of God's truth, we are very likely to end up sincerely wrong. Real truth can only be confirmed when it stands in the light of God's final Word.

Character Revealed

A person's character is revealed by his or her response to the unexpected ... and the unobserved or unpunished. No matter what you say or do - your moral condition is really revealed in the things you would do if you knew no one would ever find out, there would be no consequences and God wouldn't judge you for it.

Truth & Evil

Truth and evil have an interesting relationship. Great evil can happen when truth is at the mercy of political pressure or popular opinion. In fact, in such circumstances, great righteousness can be trampled. Resisting the truth, bowing to other influences such as social custom or politics, leaves people without purpose or direction. Evil can make it seems as if truth doesn't even exist!

Answered Prayer

God will answer your prayers - giving you what you ask for. But He won't do it as a result of my positive attitude or my actually believing in prayer. Several conditions must be met in order for prayer to be answered in way that gives me what I've asked for.

1. You must be a Christ-follower. Your belief must have turned into action and changed behaviors.
2. You must not hold a grudge against anyone. Unforgiveness blocks effective prayer.
3. You must no be praying with selfish or otherwise wrong motives. Your heart must be aligned with God's.
4. Your request must be for the good of God's Kingdom - rather than for the good of your own current or near-future circumstances.
5. You must have faith in God versus faith in the object of your prayer. Believing on a promise or on a request is not the same as faith in God.

The kind of prayer that Jesus referred to in Mark 11 - that moves mountains - is prayer for the fruitfulness of God's Kingdom.

God Reveals

As God reveals Himself through nature, we learn about His power and our finiteness. His existence.

As God reveals Himself through Scripture, we learn about His holiness and our own sinfulness. His plan.

As God reveals Himself through our daily experiences, we learn about His gracious forgiveness that frees us from guilt. Our relationship with Him.

Psalm 19 (See also Romans 1:19-20)

Leadership Test

Look over your shoulder and see if anyone is following you. If they are - you're a leader. Likewise, if you're in a position where someone could be following, that position requires a leader.

Church Elders

Church elders are supposed to be leaders who are developing other leaders. But they can't lead if their marriages are not based on integrity, their lives have no character, and they are not already engaged in discipling others.

God's Strength

God is a shield to protect us when we're weak. But He does not want us to remain weak. He strengthens us, protects us and fortifies us so that he can send us back into an evil world to fight for His kingdom. (Psalm 18:30)

Happiness & Joy

Happiness is temporary because it is based on circumstances ... which of course we cannot control. But joy is lasting because it is based on God's presence within us. As we contemplate His daily presence, we find contentment. As we understand the future He has for us, we experience joy. Circumstances could never reflect the truth of my situation. They could also never offer true joy.

Christian Speech

Perhaps nothing so distinguishes a true Christ-follower as their ability to control their speech. They speak quiet truth, refuse to slander or gossip, keep promises they make and are slow to anger or respond without thought.

Praise & Worship

Praise is simply expressing my appreciation to God and expressing my understanding of His worth. It means saying thank you for each of His divine attributes. My inward attitude becomes outward expression. My head knowledge moves to my heart. When I praise God, I'm expanding my awareness of who He is.

Knowing Enough

We can never know enough to answer all of life's questions. Even God is incomprehensible. I can't ever know Him completely in this life. Our lives will always create more questions than answers. So I must continue in my search for wisdom, being like a sponge with my Bible and prayers to seek and find God's wisdom to sustain me through all of life's unanswered questions.

Greatest Challenge

The greatest challenge that God may ever give me is that of not knowing why. Being informed gives me a sense of security. So even bad circumstances are more bearable if I can understand them. But God may call me to endure without knowing why. I have to trust God's goodness even when my circumstances don't look good. If He didn't call me to walk without this understanding, I probably wouldn't ever get sufficiently tested - and my faith might never really grow.

Wisdom Created

God created wisdom. He measured it. He examined it. He tested it for us. The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; and to forsake evil is real understanding. (See Proverbs 1:7-9)

Wisdom

People don't know where to find wisdom - and yet we all want to be viewed as wise. But wisdom cannot be found among the living. The ultimate interpretation of life - who we are and where we're going - must come from God.

God's Insructions

In Leviticus 9:6, Moses said to the people, "When you have followed these instructions from the Lord, the glorious presence of the Lord will appear to you."

Am I following His instructions? Does His glorious presence appear to me? Consistently?

Generous & Faithful

Generous people aren't necessarily faithful to God. But truly faithful people are always very generous.

Stress

In the pressure of the moment, we often cannot focus on the real cause of our stares, and are tempted to think only of the quickest way of escape. I must focus on God's power and wisdom to help me deal with the real causes of my stress.

Prophecy & Music

Prophesy and music are often closely related in the Bible.

"... you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying." - 1 Samuel 10:5

"... for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals ..." - 1 Chronicles 25:1

So what is the connection that God makes between prophesy and music? Why do you think He makes it?

Prayerful Guidance

Sometimes we know what to do, but we keep on praying for guidance - probably as a subconscious effort to postpone doing it for whatever reasons we may have. If we know what we should do, then it is time to act. Continuing to pray will not enhance our position.

Leadership Reaction

Leadership often involves reaction. IF we want to react with instincts consistent with God's will, we must develop habits of obedience to God. Consistent obedience to God is best developed in times of less stress - when our focus isn't stretched so thin.

Lust & Love

Lust may feel like love, but when physically acted on it typically results in self-disgust at a minimum. It also usually results in hatred of the other person. IF you "just can't wait" what you're feeling is definitely not love!

Smart vs. Wise

A smart man will gather a lot of advice. But a wise man will evaluate the advice he gets against God's truth before he acts on it.

Pick Your Battles

Sometimes the fights that we think are necessary can be harmful to those around us (the innocent bystanders). While it takes courage to stand and fight - it takes even more courage to back down for the sake of others.

Spoiled Children

Children who have everything - or who just have too much often lack purpose and direction in life. Children who have too little may seem to lack hope or joy, but those things can be much more easily pursued than remedying a lack of purpose or direction in life.

Character Flaws

The qualities that we condemn in others are very often character flaws that are found in ourselves. The old childhood taunt of "it takes one to know one" is perhaps more true than we realize!

Lust & Hate

The distance between lust and hatred is very short. The object of your lust can quickly become the object of your hatred - usually when it fails to meet your expectations.

Dealing With Past

Family relationships can be sources of strength or systems of dysfunction. We can think about childhood by counting scars and nightmares - or by remembering security and dreams. In what specific ways have you been settling the painful issues of your past? In what ways are you contributing to a better past for your children?

Sin Coverup

The more we try to cover up sin, the more insensitive we become to it.

Wrong Choices

We sometimes face situations with only two apparent choices - and both seem wrong. When that happens, we must seek God's perspective and His will. The answer may be to keep looking for more choices or options. By doing this, the Holy Spirit can then help us find another option that honors God and we won't have to accept an option that seems wrong. Doing what's wrong is never okay, even if it seems as if there was no other choice.

Parents' Sins

The sins of parents are most often repeated ... and amplified in the lives of their children. So it would seem that the most important thing a parent could teach a child is true repentance.

Osmosis

Whether we want to or not, we tend to copy the ways and adopt the values of the people who raised us (usually our parents). Likewise, as adults we tend to become like the people whom we spend the most time with.

Sin's Implications

Sin should never be considered as a weakness or character flaw. It is fatal and must be eradicated from our lives. Indications of sin, then, must be taken very seriously indeed.

Temptation

Temptation always finds fertile ground when a person's life has no purpose or when he or she lives aimlessly - drifting along in life.

Hope's Satisfaction

Hope will never really be satisfied until Christ returns. This is because all human hope rises and falls on things that only Christ can provide.

God's Provision

God provides for us if we will love Him, put Him first in all areas of our lives, obey Him and highly regard (honor) His principles and values. Otherwise - we have no right to expect or anticipate His perfect provision in our lives.

Greatness

The honest compliments of an opponent may be one of the best measures of someone's greatness.

Persistence

Persistence is a good trait if it is for a worthy cause. But if the goal is only personal honor or personal gain, then persistence amounts to nothing more than selfish stubbornness.

Trust God

If we really do trust in God in all aspects, we will be free to respond boldly to the events around us. Our circumstances will never wield any power over us if our trust in God is secure.

Resolving Conflict

When you face a conflict, step back from the hostilities and drama to look for the common points of interest or agreement. Focus not on your points disagreement - but rather on your points of agreement. Look for what you can agree on ... because that is where you'll find resolution to the conflict.

Righteousness' Source

We can remove certain sin from our lives, but if we don't remove it from our hearts, we are still in bondage to it. We can take extraordinary measures against sin - but if our hearts don't change it will return again. Knowing what is right and condemning what is wrong will not create righteousness. Only godly desires in our hearts can create righteousness.

On Opportunities

When opportunities come your way - or when circumstances seem to be in your favor - check your motives. Make sure you are following God's will instead of just your own. An opportunity to do something that is outside of God's will can never be an opportunity from God. But our own desires can allow us to be deceived into thinking that it is.

Liars

Dishonest people (liars) eventually begin to believe the lies they tell - especially the lies they tell about themselves. Intellectually, the liar knows that the lies are not true. However, they start to seem or feel true. It is then that the liar will begin to lose the ability to tell the difference between the truth and the lies. They will begin to appear similar to him or her. Eventually, a liar will alienate themselves from God and lose credibility in all their relationships. And because they've lost the ability to discern the impact of the lie ... they won't know why.

God's Judgment

The Lord doesn't consider the things that men consider. The Lord looks at the heart. God judges by faith and character. Because only God can see on the inside and know our heart and character, only He can accurately judge people.

Obedience vs. Sacrifice

Obedience is better than sacrifice. It's a Biblical principal repeated over and over again in both the Old and New Testaments. Put another way, God values our obedience more than He values anything else we could do for Him.

Rebellion Against God

Rebellion against God is the most serious sin of all. This is because as long as someone is in rebellion against God, the door to forgiveness and restoration with God is closed.

Think & Reflect

Every Christian needs to take time to think and reflect. Doing so enables us to focus our attention on God's priorities, as well as His goodness and strength. It also helps us grow our faith in God - because we spend that time considering who He is.

Pray for Others

Christ-followers are to lift each other up in prayer. It is part of "bearing one another's burdens." (Galatians 6:2) Failing to pray for others is a sin. (Ephesians 6:18)

God's Leading

God may use common circumstances or occurrences to lead where He wants us to go. It is important to consider every situation as God's leading - a divine appointment, if you will - designed to shape our lives. There is no such thing as coincidence and things don't ever happen by chance.

Trouble's Source

People most often experience trouble in life because they and others become their own authority and act on their own opinion of right and wrong (things to do). And they do this without deference to God. When this happens, everyone pays the price. Sadly, few understand why.

Making Love Work

How can we keep natural desire for love and sexual pleasure from deceiving us?

1. Decide what kind of person you will love before passion takes you over.
2. Determine whether a person's faith in God and strength of character are as important as their physical attributes.
3. Make sure their personality, temperament and commitment to solve problems are as gratifying as what they have to offer sexually.
4. Be willing to wait on the Lord to bring that right person into your life in His time.
5. Spend the waiting period refining your own faith in God and your own personal character.

Idolatry Defined

Idolatry is really just the seeking of something besides God to satisfy one's desires. Sinful choices require that God be put out of my mind in order to pursue them.

Sin's Role

All sin is ultimately rebellion against God because it disregards His commands and His authority over us. Further, it discards His ways of living, His values, His principles and even God's wishes. Recognizing the seriousness of sin is the first step toward removing it from our lives and gaining victory over it.

God's Missions

When God gives us a mission, it must not be polluted by a desire for approval from others or by an expectation of financial or material reward.

Follow & Destroy

To follow God means destroying whatever gets in the way of worshipping Him or putting Him first in our lives. What do you need to destroy today?

Do ... or Be

Sometimes people are too busy thinking about what they are to do - and forget to think about who they are to be.

God's Religion

God's system of religion was designed to come from an attitude of the heart - not from calculated or logical plans and business opportunities.

Men's Relationships

One of the great tragedies of life is that men don't get to see the depths of the damaged they do with their dysfunctional ways of relating to God and others. Those that do see even a glimpse of the damage can be moved to deep repentance.

Superior Christianity

Christianity surpasses Judaism in three key ways:

1. It has a better covenant. (Hebrews 8:1-13)
2. It has a better sanctuary. (Hebrews 9:1-10)
3. It has a more sufficient sacrifice. (Hebrews 9:11-10:18)

This may be why Jews who profess Christ can then define themselves as "completed Jews."

Asking God

People who chronically ask, "What does God want me to do?" are often really just masking a more important and sincere question: "Do I have what it takes to be successful at what I already know God wants me to do?" So they're not so much looking for answers or direction as they are looking for courage and affirmation.

God Followers

Even in times of crisis and deep despair, there are those who follow God and whom through God works. No matter how depraved the world may seem there are always going to be people who follow God and who are used by God to accomplish His purposes. Perhaps the only question is whether you'll know who they are!

Sorrow for Sin

Without sincere sorrow (or brokenness) over one's sin, there can never really be true repentance or even genuine confession.

Remembering Success

During difficult times in life, we may need to remember the crucial turning points in our past to help us through the present. Using past successes as reference points often helps us to know what to do with present challenges.

Satan Talking

The next time the devil wants to remind you of your past, just remind him of his future.

Obedience

Obedience is the one aspect of life that we can control. We can always control our choice to obey God - and to obey the people that He places in authority over us (whether they be secular or spiritual leaders). God gives us free choice, and He expects us to exercise it in obedience.

Reverence for God

Awe and deep respect are the appropriate responses to a holy God. Our actions must model our absolute reverence for God. It's been said that people do what they believe. This is especially true when it comes to the reverence we show God.

Finding Solutions

Often God will provide no solution for our problems until we trust him and move ahead with what we know thus far - or with what we have thus far. Obedience and faith are the foundations of the solutions to our problems in life. When we exercise them (obedience and faith) we find the solutions we're looking for.

Making Decisions

Often times we worry about making the right decision. We may even live in fear of wrong decisions. But God doesn't demand that our judgment be perfect in all situations. He simply asks us to trust Him and to do the best that we know how to do at the time.

Doing the Extraordinary

The strength and courage that we need to do extraordinary things is only found in our relationship with God. "I can do all things, through Christ who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13) Said differently, human strength and courage have their limits. God's doesn't.

Addiction Recovery

Once God delivers you from an addiction or compulsive behavior - your selfish desires - left unchecked - can keep you trapped as if you were still addicted. And you'll be deceived about what God has done.

Songs of Praise

Songs of praise focus our attention on God. They give us an outlet for spiritual celebration. And they remind us of God's faithfulness, generosity and love. Singing praises to God can have a positive effect on our attitude - and a healing affect on our souls.

Power & Wealth

People who desire power and/or wealth always vastly outnumber those who can use it wisely.

Solving Problems

Our culture has bought the lie that personal problems and relationship problems are no different than physical problems in their nature. We tend to think that both kinds of problems can best be addressed by an expert whose understanding exists outside of Biblical wisdom (such as in science). So we value the wisdom of a licensed professional therapist more than we value the wisdom of our pastor or spiritual leaders. We have entirely lost sight of the fact that every non physical problem is, at its core, a moral problem. And moral problems are only addressed in an individual’s relationship with God.

Finding Jesus

True worship (versus pop music celebration), intense prayer, searching for Christ in Scriptures, humbling ourselves in brokenness over our pride and lukewarm devotion, waiting on him to fill us with his Spirit, and serving him with single-minded purpose and a passion that consumes all others: these are where intimacy with Christ Jesus will be found.

Ministry Credentials

Religion spends too much time and emphasis on theology. We value degrees more than character. We worry about doctrine more than truth. In God’s view, godly character and spiritual wisdom are more honorable than degrees and skills, or even than achievement or expertise. So what good are preaching skills or Bible knowledge if they lack character and wisdom that comes only from God (and not from any seminary or Bible college)?

Intimacy With Christ

The depth of true connection with Christ can only be achieved through unexplained suffering, excruciating brokenness, and deep repentance. Mistakenly, modern Christianity has told us to focus on solving our problems, relieving our pain and recover our self-esteem. This is not where intimacy with Christ Jesus is found.

Manliness

Manliness is not about machismo, strength, or even tenderness of emotion. The only way to be a true man is to be a godly man. Too often men study other men to form their ideals of what masculinity is about. Rather they should study God, where their masculinity is really revealed.

Count the Cost

Today’s Christians must learn to count the cost (everything we have) of following Jesus Christ. We must feel the emptiness of our souls until no cost seems too high if it brings us into contact with Him. We must resist the influence of a Christian culture that values self-discovery and self-fulfillment over abandoning ourselves to God.

On Selfishness

The character defect of selfishness is not always apparent. But it will reveal itself clearly in hard times. Despite someone’s appearance of kindness and generosity – which may even seem extravagant at times, a bottom-line commitment to their own well being will clearly surface when the chips are down. It’s where selfishness stands exposed.

HIATUS

About twice yearly, I make a trip to Uganda (East Africa) to visit my kids, lead some conferences, etc. During the few days before, the time during, and the few days after, I usually take a break from all of my blogs. This is that break. I'll be blogging again around the middle of May (2010).

Love & Justice

Love and justice are essential to Christianity. They are at the very foundation of the character and nature of God. But for humans, they are not easy to keep in balance. Some people pervert love by excusing other people's bad behaviors - and thus enable them. Others pervert justice and fail to love others. But love without justice leaves people in their sins. And justice without love drives people away from God. The two must be kept in balance.

Material Wealth

When people have abundant material things (measures of wealth and affluence) they tend to become self-sufficient and forget about God.

How God Works

God often chooses to work through people, but only because it is good for them. He is perfectly capable of accomplishing His will in me without anyone else's help. But He created me to be a relational being. Said differently, God prefers to use relationships to do His work.

Better or Worse

Sometimes partial blindness - seeing but not understanding, or knowing what is right but not doing it, or hearing truth but not believing it - can be worse than not seeing, hearing, or knowing at all.

Praying Intentionally

When we pray we must have faith that God has already prepared the best answer for us. Our role is to ask in faith and wait in humility.

Ineffective Christians

People don't have to be sinful to be ineffective as Christians. They can simply be confused about who God really is or about what God wants - and they'll be as useless as heathens.

Fear Driven

When we are driven by fear, we tend to frantically search everywhere for comfort, assurance, advice and relief. We hope to find an easy way out of our troubles - which we think are the causes of our distress. But God wants to be our provision and our guide. And He wants us to look only to Him for these things.

Good Promises

Promises are only as good as the credibility of the individual making them.

Worship Hypocrisy

We are all capable of hypocrisy. Often we slip into routine patterns when we worship and fail to really give God our love and devotion. If we are to be called God's people, we must be obedient and worship Him honestly and sincerely.

Grateful Worship

It is from the depths of our gratitude that we praise God. For if we are not grateful - then there would be no point (purpose) to worshipping Him.

Distorted Perspective

Our perspective can become distorted by our accomplishments if we fail to recognize that God is always working His purposes through us.

Empowered

When we recognize how great God is, how sinful we are, and the extent of God's forgiveness, we receive the power we need to do His work.

Satisfying Life

The only thing that can truly satisfy us in life is the pursuit of God. We've been wired (created) in such a way as to make this a true statement.

Pride's Effect

Pride intensifies all of our other sins. We cannot repent of any of our other sins without first giving up our pride.

Jesus' Significance

Many people miss the significance of Jesus' life and work. It is way bigger than they think. In fact, it is bigger than anyone of us can even comprehend on our own. It takes the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to help us grasp the real significance of Jesus Christ.

Adultery

Both physical and spiritual adultery begin with disappointment and dissatisfaction - either real or imagined - with an already existing relationship. Both also involve believing a lie about what the new object of love can do for us. So both spiritual and physical adultery involve a deterioration of our beliefs.

Misleading Others

Those who want to mislead others, through blatant lying or simple propaganda, tend to follow a few simple rules. First, make it big. Second, keep it simple. And third, repeat it often. Advertisers on television and radio know this. Politicians know this. Preachers know this. Do you know this?

Favoritism

Favoritism results from evil thoughts. Really. It is a by-product of selfish motives. It goes against the Biblical definition of love, and it shows a lack of mercy. Favoritism is, by its very nature, hypocritical. It is sin. In fact, there is no way to engage in favoritism without sinning.

True Love

True love is quite a challenge for human beings - because it requires things that are not human. 1 Corinthians 13 says, for example, that love does not keep a record of wrongs. But humans are incapable of forgetting wrongs. Even if we want to, the devil helps us remember them. We may forgive them. But forgetting them is next to impossible. So it is that human beings are really not capable then of true love ... without the supernatural help of God.

Right & Wrong

When we make excuses for our own actions, we break down the distinction between right and wrong. If we do not take God's word as our standard, soon all moral choices can appear fuzzy.

Hearing God

When we think God doesn't speak to us, it is more likely that we are not really listening carefully or that we are not truly willing to do what He says.

Love's Secret

Feelings of love can create intimacy that overpowers reason. But feelings aren't enough to support a lasting relationship. We should treat our romantic attractions with patience --- waiting for feelings of love and of commitment to develop together.

Price of Wisdom

The more you understand in life, the more pain and difficulty you'll experience. the more you know, the more imperfection will be apparent. The more you observe, the more evident evil will be to you. When you set out to find the meaning of life, you must be ready to feel more, think more, question more, hurt more --- and do more. Are you ready to pay the price of wisdom?

Living Wisely

All human accomplishments will one day disappear. We must keep this in mind if we want to live wisely.

Making Choices

Many of our choices in life are irreversible. Whatever consequences they have are likely to be with us for a lifetime. And we don't know which choices they are before we make them. So we should be cautious about making choices ... making certain that they're made based on the right criteria.

Bribes

Bribes are given to hurt those who tell the truth and they help those who appose the truth. It is said that everyone has a price. But those who are truly wise can not be bought at any price. (Only a fool can be bribed.)

Peace With God

The secret to peace with God is to discover, accept and appreciate His perfect timing in all things.

Human Purpose

The eternity and finality of human death makes all our human achievements futile. But God has a plan for each of us individually that goes well beyond human life and death. And we were wired for that plan. Nothing in the world can satisfy the emptiness and the longings that are in our restless hearts. True happiness and internal peace or contentment are not in our power to attain in life - and nothing in this world can give those things to us either. They only come from living out God's purpose for each of us.

Wisdom's Lacking

Human wisdom doesn't contain all of life's answers. Knowledge and education have their limits. We need wisdom that is greater than this world can offer. We need the words of God. We need the wisdom and leadership of His Holy Spirit each day.

Right Hearts & Relationships

If our hearts are right with God, then our relationship with other people can be made right as well. When a heart has been cleansed by God and it remains reconciled to god, then the individual will finally be able to relate most effectively to others.

Prosperity

Prosperity can dull our spiritual vision and other spiritual senses. It tends to make us self sufficient and eager to acquire still more of everything --- except God.

Children's God

It is unlikely that your children will ever find or know a God who is bigger than the one their parents worship. Similarly, it is unlikely that your children will ever praise God more than you do.

God's Purpose

To fulfill God's purpose and will in our lives we must have the content and substance of His Word in our hearts and minds.

Belive & Follow

When we decide to believe in God, we must also decide to follow His ways. What we do shows what we really believe.

His Mercy

God has such awesome power and justice that no man (or woman) could ever stand before Him without His mercy.

Teaching Children

If you want your children to follow God, you must make God an integral part of your every day experiences. You must teach your children diligently to see God in all aspects of life --- and not just in those that are church related. You must teach them to call upon God in all times --- and not just in the crisis times.

Idolatry

When the strengths or attributes of powerful humans or animals are revered - or the cycles of nature are honored without reference to God who created them - we have idolatry. This idolatry is found in pop stars, animal lovers, astrology, etc.

Spiritual Adultery

We often don't think of ourselves as being spiritually promiscuous, but we often spend more time seeking advice from TV, radio, magazines, self-help books, etc. than we do from God and His Word. Spiritual adultery is upon more of us than we imagine.

God's Word

God's Words are not just information, but rather a real source of transforming power. The Bible is full of real and living power. Its words are transforming lives all over the world every day. This has been the case for centuries too.

Christian Markets

"No intelligent man would try to find ethical sanction for capitalism in the basis of Christianity." - Ian Milner, 1934

Problems

Keep your problems in their proper perspective. Remember that the god you serve and the power He gives you are both significantly greater than your problems.

Hidden Sin

When we try to maintain the appearance of loving God without really living life His way, we are covering up sin that could eventually damage us beyond repair.

Idols

We have idols in our hearts when we pursue wealth, leisure, education, friends and acceptance, sensual pleasure or anything else with the intensity and commitment that should be exclusively reserved for seeking and following God. All people have something or someone as the object(s) of their heart's devotion - but it may not always be God.

Weeding Pride

If you are going through a humiliating experience, consider that God may be using that experience to weed out the pride in your life.

Reflecting Holiness

Because God is morally perfect, He can help us live above our human tendency to compromise with the world. When we focus on His greatness, He gives us the power to overcome sin and to reflect His holiness in our lives each day.

Darkness & Light

Just as darkness cannot exist in the presence of light, so sin cannot exist in the presence of our holy God.

Praise & Worship

Praise is the heartfelt response to God by those who love Him. The more that you really know God and realize His great works in your life, the more compelled you are to respond to Him with true praise. Praise is at the heart then, of worship. It is not a function we can outsource to others on a stage or listen to on a CD.

Offensive Sin

Sin doesn't have to be shocking or disgusting to us to be offensive to God. all sin should be considered offensive by God's people. All sin offends God.

Degrees of Sin

There are not any degrees of sin. But people who know better and still sin are considered the worse sinners by God. (He has much more compassion for the ignorant.)

Evil Alliances

An unholy alliance (partnership, friendship or membership) is an uneasy alliance. Evil operates on a very predictable pattern --- that somehow seems to surprise us anyway. Destructive by its very nature, evil discards its own adherents if and when they cease to serve its purposes.

Fairness

It is not God who must live up to our ideas of fairness. Rather we must live up to His.

Lies & Liars

Lies are often attractive, and liars may have large followings. Even the liars find their own lies more attractive than the truth. That's why they tell them.

Role of Vision

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint. In other words, without guidance from God (usually through His prophets), law and order disappear. Without vision, people perish.

Leading People

People tend to exceed expectations when they are led by someone who cares about them and has their best interests in mind.

Knowing God

Those who know God well enough to fear His wrath also know God well enough to value and desire His grace.

Miracles

True signs and miracles point us to Jesus Christ. But miracles alone can be deceiving. (Satan and his demons can perform miracles too!) That is why we must ask, with respect to each miracle, whether it is consistent with what God says in the Bible. For a true miracle from God will never contradict Scripture.

God Breaks

God sometimes has to break a person in order to bring them to true repentance. They don't change until He breaks their hearts with humiliation, pain, suffering and defeat.

God Prevails

Despite the sorry state of our current times, God's sovereign strength still prevails. He will judge His enemies and those that rebel against Him. He will restore His true people - who obey Him too. Do you know the difference?

Responsible To God?

We cannot be excused from our responsibilities to God. We are accountable to Him for our choices.

Punish or Tolerate

God will always punish sin, whether we believe it or not. In fact, because God is righteous and holy, He must punish sin. There is no other alternative for Him - for if He didn't he would have to tolerate sin ... and that is not an option for God. Ironically, it is not an option for people either. (We just think it is.)

Slippery Slope

People don't usually just fall into an evil lifestyle or some level of immorality all of a sudden. they gradually slip into it a little bit at a time. Hardly realizing what is happening, they become irrevocably mired in their wicked ways.

Temptation entertained today becomes sin tomorrow. But then it becomes a habit, then death and eventually separation from God. (Revelation 9:20-21 & James 1:15).

Medication

Medication can of course be important - but do not conclude that a pill dissolving in your stomach is necessarily more powerful than a healing thought dissolving in your mind.

Authority

As Christians, God is willing to empower us with all the authority that is under heaven. However, God only gives authority to those who willingly submit to authority.

Get Even

No matter how strong the desire to get revenge or retaliate against those who offend us, our responsibility is to pray to God and ask for His justice. Vengeance belongs to Him alone.

God Breaks

God sometimes has to break a person in order to bring them to true repentance. They don't change until He breaks their hearts with humiliation, pain, suffering and defeat.

Cause for Worry

Wars, natural disasters, political strife, famine and other calamities tend to make the world fret. They produce great anxiety and fear. but for Christ-followers, they should be a sign that the end is near and Christ's return is imminent. So we should have a different response.

Calling vs. Lifestyle

A high calling coupled with low living results in deep suffering. What is God's purpose in you? How are you living? What is the result of your life?

Our Prosperity

We must always be careful not to take glory in our prosperity - or we will fall into spiritual poverty.

Speaking & Listening

When we pray, we speak to the Father. When we read the Bible, He speaks to us.

Communication

Real communication skills are most often learned in conflict and its resolution.

Belief Problems

Sometimes our problem is not in false beliefs - but rather we suffer from incomplete beliefs.

Offended Mind

Whatever offends our mind reveals our heart.

Heaven's Hope

When we can begin to comprehend or realize the glorious future that awaits us in heaven, we will find the strength to face and endure our present difficulties and challenges. Said differently, there is no hope in what's ahead unless you believe in what's ahead. And that hope is where present strength comes from.

Placing Trust

As Americans we must never trust our leaders, resources, intelligence or power more than we trust God. to do so only sets us up for failure and even punishment by God. (He opposes the proud.)

Why We Cry

The reasons why a man or woman might cry say much about that man or woman. Does he or she weep for their own losses or suffering? Or do they weep for the losses and suffering of others? Do they weep for their own frustrations - or for sin and rebellion against God? A truly righteous person will be moved to tears by the very same things that move God to tears.

Satisfied Christians

The pleasures of this world can be very dangerous for Christians. Their temporary satisfaction can be deceiving and making us indifferent to God's eternal satisfaction. In other words, we won't be satisfied with what God offers - and we'll think we need something else.

Place of Worship

Our place of worship is not as important to God as our priorities in worship. A church building may be beautiful, but if the people don't sincerely follow and diligently obey God, the church will decay from within.

Punished People

Most Christians know that immoral living - sin - rebellion against God - and even simply ignoring God - will lead to eternal punishment in hell. what we may overlook is that we don't have to wait for hell to get that punishment. God punishes His chosen people - often severely - in order to bring them back to Himself before it is too late.

Disgusting Christian

There is nothing more disgusting than a half-hearted, in-name-only Christian who is self-sufficient. They don't really take a stand for anything and are generally indifferent to everything. they are self satisfied and content to be idle - pursuing only more self satisfaction in leisure, entertainment, etc.

Measure of Success

Success must never be measured by popularity, fortune (wealth) or fame. rather the best measures of success are obedience, faithfulness and righteousness. Look for these qualities and you will find truly successful people.

Sound Virtue

In a church's effort to maintain sound teaching, as well as moral and doctrinal purity, it is easy to lose a loving attitude and a charitable spirit.

Conflict Detroys

Prolonged and unresolved conflict will destroy both our patience and affection. Do you love someone? Don't leave conflicts with them unresolved.

Celebrities

If any religious personality or celebrity draws attention only to his or her self, their work is not from God.

Bad Behavior

People who are totally without God can act no better than vicious animals. But although we may be horrified by criminal acts --- we have yet to see the real horror of complete lawlessness. Civilization still has a veneer of decency through law enforcement, education, science and reason. (These will all fail in the Biblical end times.)

Joy of Serving

It is easy to lose the joy of serving God - when we take our eyes of off Him. the more we look away from God and His purposes, the more we are looking at our own actions. In other words we'll focus on what we're doing instead of why we're doing it. that's a sure way to become frustrated.

Beware of focusing on your own service or your own sacrifice. Instead, focus your attention on the privilege of serving God, however He has called you.

Fear Evil?

We should fear no evil when we see evil or see it increase in the world around us. god is in control, no matter how evil the world becomes or how menacing evil appears to be. (Psalm 23)

Ministry Motives

People become involved in ministry for a variety of reasons. Not all of them are good and pure. Not all of them are obvious or apparent. And not all of them are the reasons that some people might think.

Consistent Faith

Our joy, prayers and thankfulness should not fluctuate with our circumstances or feelings. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) So being joyful, praying through every circumstances and giving thanks in all situations are matters of true obedience. and it is this obedience which gets tested by our own feelings and changing circumstances.

Demons & Asking

Jesus said that some demons can only be gotten rid of through prayer. God said that we often have not because we ask not. What demons do you need to ask God to deal with today?

Sexuality

God created human sexuality for the purposes of procreation and the deep celebration of our committed marriage relationships. (Pleasure was added to ensure that we were drawn to procreation and celebration of marriage relationships.) Therefore, our sexual experience must be limited to the marriage relationship in order to avoid hurting ourselves, our relationship with God and our relationship with others. For our sexuality, when expressed outside of committed marriage relationships is perverse and dangerous.

Dealing With Sin

If we rebel against God and refuse to repent when He has identified some sin in our lives, He may use guilt, crisis, pain or other bad experiences to bring us back to Him. Do you know that?

Job Satisfaction

God does not condemn our taking satisfaction in what we do. (Ecclesiastes 3:22) But He stands against over estimating our own importance. God cannot tolerate pride.

Living Circumstances

There is a problem in that even the most devout Christians may choose to live under their circumstances instead of above their circumstances. When this occurs, they are not living the life that Christ died to give them.

Responding To Temptation

Sometimes merely trying to resist or avoid temptation is simply not enough. We must take physical action --- making deliberate choices --- to distance ourselves from the temptation. We must turn and run from it ... toward righteousness.

When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fruitfulness, gentleness and self control. Do you lack self control? Don't look to yourself. Rather look to the Holy Spirit.

Accountable Intelligence

God doesn't hold people accountable for things they don't know ... unless their ignorance was of their own doing.

God Speaking

Those who wonder if God still speaks don't know who God is.

Abortion Realities

People who aren't sure that abortion is murder (or are sure that it isn't) haven't watched one.

Guaranteed Ignorance

If you want to ensure your future ignorance, be satisfied with your own opinions and content with your level of knowledge.

Wrong Thinking

The farther we get from God, the more confused our thinking becomes. We often don't recognize that the true source of our problems is our failure to follow God's leading. When calamity forces you to examine your life and your ways, take a close look at God's instructions for you and be willing to humbly apply what you find there.

Satan is Real

Satan is real, whether we like it or not. He is "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4) and "the ruler of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). So what does his existence and his role mean to you life?

Flattery

Christians should not be flatterers. Compliments paid to others must come from a sincere heart - or they are sin.

Boldness

Boldness is not reckless impulsiveness. Nor is it stubbornness or personal strength. Rather boldness is the courage - given by God - to press on through fears to do what is right.