Read Reflect I remember a time in my life when I was somewhat disconnected from my local church. I didn’t seem to be engaging in fellowship, and wasn’t as active in serving. I don’t know that I would call it backsliding, but between work and the many other things I had going on it was […]
Read More friends, church, companyRead Reflect Every afternoon when I get home I switch on the evening news. In these times, there is so much happening in our world that should bring us to tears. From the violence, to horrors of nature, to the injustice we see in our societies. Of course, I will often provide my own monologue […]
Read More evening news, prayer, justice, poorRead Reflect In a study on marriage, Paul Tripp compares a water bottle to our hearts. He holds up a water bottle with the lid off, and then furiously shakes it. Of course water begins to fly everywhere. Paul then begins to explain that the water spilling out wasn’t merely a result of shaking it; […]
Read More protection, heart, God’s Word, mouthRead Reflect Not too long ago we were visiting some friends near our home to see their newborn baby. After only being in their home a few minutes we heard the baby begin to cry. Cry…and CRY! This poor little creature was bawling so loud and hard that her little face turned red and she […]
Read More protection, deliverance, help, criesRead Reflect Psalm 17 is certainly challenging to read. There is so much here that can cause us to stumble if we do not rightly place ourselves within the context of the psalm. As you read, you will notice that David is calling out for the Lord to acknowledge the righteous (vv 1-5). After he […]
Read More vindication, protection, salvation, righteousness, enemiesRead Reflect I must have only been on my journey in ministry a few months when I started to feel the weight of looming judgment around me. People who I thought were my friends seemed to be waiting for me to trip up and do something wrong. It was as if they wanted to “catch […]
Read More salvation, enemies, accusersRead Reflect I had just walked into the living room of this new friend who still seemed to be a stranger to me. His wife had us sit down in a place where they had laid out blankets on the floor. She then proceeded to serve us hot tea as he shared their recent tragedy. […]
Read More trouble, enemies, deliverance, God’s goodnessRead Reflect ATVs are a lot of fun… Riding ATVs in 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) without water is not fun. My family and I were riding along some paths in a desert canyon in southern Nevada. It didn’t take us very long before we realized we had forgotten to bring water with us. […]
Read More désert, thirst, water, living waterRead Reflect It was dusk as I was sitting on a large boulder in a random village in northern Ethiopia. Weeping and praying that God would look upon me, see how hard I have been working, how diligent I had been in the local ministry work, and then deliver me from the pain. I had […]
Read More pain, rock, God’s goodnessRead Reflect Have you ever faced a task that just seemed too overwhelming to accomplish? Whether rebuilding an engine, dealing with hurdles within your organization, or even taking the Gospel to a hostile unreached people group. I know I have! Too many times I sit at my desk, look at the needs our organization has, […]
Read More hills, God’s kingdom, shade, protection, help