“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” -Romans 2:12 I love the movie Alice in Wonderland. Yes, the Tim Burton version is a little on the strange side, but the story is great and the design, costumes, graphics, and set are so

“My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.” -Proverbs 3:22 Wisdom is valuable. The Bible says it’s worth more that rubies (Proverbs 3:15). True wisdom is mostly caught versus taught. It may be thought

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” -Matthew 13:44 It was Monday night worship practice. Though no one had a heavy heart we knew what was coming –

“We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.” -2 Corinthians 6:3 Do you have a ministry? The answer is yes! Each of us are called to be ministers. We are first called to someone (Jesus), and then we are called

“We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.” -Hebrews 6:11 There are situations in life that can knock the wind out of us. Obstacles get in the way of our hopes and dreams and keep us from seeing the

“For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” -Galatians 5:14 How can we best share the gospel with others? There is an art to doing it, for sure. I remember trying to share Jesus with a friend of mine when I was young, and she asked

“And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life – this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.” -Ecclesiastics

“He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver.” -Isaiah 49:2 What kind of gifts has God given you? Have people always told you you were “good” or “great” at something? If you’ve never

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” -Romans 12:2 I spent a lot of time in the early years of my life feeling “less than,” and ugly or fat, incompetent, or just plain unworthy of anything good or better than how my life was at the

“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed

“Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.” -2 Corinthians 12:21 In a day where we tend

“‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’” -Luke 19:17 I don’t think there’s a “safe” way to get to any sort of dream that matters. I mean, think about it. We try to go around things that are too hard

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” -Matthew 6:19 There is a great temptation in our lifetime to

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” -Colossians 3:17 Imagine with me for a moment that every Christian on earth had a revelation of the “in everything” principle. What if we asked ourselves, at every moment, “Is what I’m

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.” -Psalm 68:5 I hope you had a loving mom, or dad, or both. Or perhaps your grandparents or surrogate parents took good care of you. But if you didn’t, no worries – there’s hope. If your parents were absent or let

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” -Hebrews 12:1 & 2 True commitment is so rare in our culture. It’s difficult to find someone who will do what they say – and stick it out until the end. Commitment

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” -Matthew 16:18 Have you ever found yourself lacking confidence? Have you ever found yourself doubting the call of God on your life? I think all of us go through

“And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.” -Romans 11:6 There are often great dichotomies in our journeys in Christ. There are things that seem as though they are directly contradictory, when in

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” -Psalms 37:23 Once my dad took me out to dinner. This was during a time when he and I didn’t have a very good relationship – I had perceived him as cold, distant, and excessively authoritarian, and he probably

“You’ll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did – Jesus crucified.” -1 Corinthians

“When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, ‘Tell him to come here.’ So they called the blind man. ‘Cheer up,’ they said. ‘Come on, He’s calling you!’” -Mark 10:49 Imagine spending 100% of your time doing things you were gifted and anointed to do. How awesome this would be! Perhaps this is you already,

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” -Acts 2:4 What does it mean to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit? It doesn’t have anything to do with drugs or alcohol. It means, in part, that we submit

“Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” -Psalm 144:1 “I am just so fed up!” said my friend. “I don’t understand why all this negative stuff keeps happening to me. I am so tired of things working out for others and not working out for

“As a man thinks… so is he.” -Proverbs 23:7 Have you ever had a hard time with the way you think about yourself? I know I have. Fat, ugly, stupid, never good enough – it seems I’ve “subconsciously” called myself everything. Of course, those things couldn’t be further from the truth! In reality, most of us

“Then they took him and cast him into a pit.” -Genesis 37:24 Joseph was his father’s favorite. Subsequently, he was despised by the rest of his brothers. Joseph’s brothers plotted against him to kill him. Instead of killing him however, they threw him into a pit and then sold him into slavery. But God had

“Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” -Psalm 55:22 Have you ever felt “weighed down” with burdens? It seems that with the constant stressors and events of life, it has become normal to be weighed down with the things

“Then He pointed to his disciples and said, ‘Look, these are My mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of My Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!’” -Matthew 12:49-50 Each of us has a family we were born into, or adopted by. We didn’t choose our family; Some of us

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” -Revelation 2:17 There is a lot

“I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful and gracious to me according to Your promise.” -Psalm 119:58 I went to the Toyota dealership to get an oil change for my car. It was a rainy day, and I was late for my appointment. I was met by a very friendly-looking gentleman with

“…If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” -Exodus 33:15 Do you want to be more productive in your life? It seems there are more books written, blogs created, and seminars conducted on increasing personal productivity than ever before. After all, if time equals money, then our best

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.” -Matthew 16:19 Recently we had new keys made for our office. Our office manager instructed me