“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:4 Have you ever tried to do anything that you were not gifted to do? I am not a handy man. If there is a household project, like a plumbing leak or anything mechanical – forget it. God has not given me any

“He will bless those who fear the Lord- small and great alike.” Psalm 115:13 What will be written on your epitaph? How do you want people to remember you? What type of legacy will your life leave behind? I interviewed a very successful and powerful man one time for a magazine when this question came

“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 What does it mean for workplace believers to live for a cause greater than themselves in our day and time? Jeremiah Lanphier was a businessman in New York City who asked God to do this in his life in 1857. In a small,

“They bruised his feet with shackles; his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.” Psalm 105:18-19 God spoke to Joseph as a young boy through a dream and vision regarding his future. He could not understand its complete meaning at the

“God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” Psalm 53:2 Are you a man or woman who is a seeker of God? The Lord delights in seeing those children of His who truly understand the meaning of life and why there

“Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.” Proverbs 18:18 We prayed about it. We discussed it. My friend had one desire; I had a different one. “Okay, let’s settle the issue the way the early Church settled matters when an agreement could not be achieved. Let’s flip a coin.” “You must be

“Prepare it with oil on a griddle; bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.” Leviticus 6:21 There is a requirement to be blessed at a deeper spiritual level by God. Christ requires it of each of His servants. He required it of Paul when

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26 I was driving down the interstate feeling discouraged from an appointment I had just had. A former employee’s company was seeking to displace

“When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” 1 Peter 2:23 Have you ever been wrongfully accused? Oh, the need to defend and justify becomes so great. “What will people think if they believe these things

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 Have you ever gone through a time of complete dependence on God for your material needs? Perhaps you lost a job and could not generate income on your own. Perhaps you got sick and could not work.

“They trusted in Him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” – Daniel 3:28b Have you ever known someone who lived an outcome-based Christian experience? This means that their decisions are made based on the positive or negative

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” – Matthew 10:16 “Os is now taking over this division. He will be managing all of these activities from now on. You should know that he has a different management philosophy than what you may

“No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. “– Acts 5:13 Every work day in thousands of offices across the globe, Christians testify of God’s grace in their lives in some way. Sometimes it comes through a subtle performance of their duties with a smile and peace that

“I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on Me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded Me….” – John 14:30-31 There is a constant war going on between our

“Being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” – Romans 4:21 Why did God consider Abraham a righteous man? It was because Abraham looked beyond his own limitations of age and strength and considered God as the one who could accomplish His own goals. Abraham came to a place in

“The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.” – 1 Samuel 2:4 There is an oxymoron throughout the Bible. It says that brokenness is strength. How can this be? How can brokenness be strength? In order to use men and women to their fullest extent, the Lord has

“He went out to meet Asa and said to him, ‘Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.’” – 2 Chronicles 15:2 Asa was the

…”Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today….” – Exodus 14:13 The Israelites had just left 400 years of slavery in Egypt. They had fled to the desert, but they had come to a dead end at the Red Sea. Word reached them that Pharaoh had changed his mind.

“But the Danites had difficulty taking possession of their territory, so they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it….” – Joshua 19:47 What is the spiritual inheritance God has reserved for you? When God told the Israelites they were going to receive the Promised Land, it was

…”The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” – Judges 6:12 Has God ever spoken directly to you in such a way that you knew that it was actually His voice speaking to you specifically? I don’t mean just an appropriate verse of Scripture, or a circumstance that seemed probable that it was God. I am

“The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions are broken.” – Job 4:10 In the advertising business we often say that “perception is reality” for the person who views our advertising message. It does not matter whether the audience believes the message to be true, only that they perceive it

“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” – 1 Peter 5:5b I’ll never forget the first time I discovered what a feeling was. It was in my early forties. “Surely not!” you may be thinking. Yes, it is true. Since then,

“You have planted much, but have harvested little….” – Haggai 1:6 Have you ever worked and worked only to yield very little from your efforts? Such was the case for the workplace believers during the time of the prophet Haggai. Finally, God spoke through the prophet Haggai to inform the people why their efforts were

“On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall.” – Esther 5:1a Esther was a woman who lived for a cause greater than herself. God used this woman to save the entire Jewish people from extermination. However, before God

“One day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’” – Acts 19:15 Are you a threat to the kingdom of darkness? If satan and his demons had a board meeting and your name came before the board, what would they say? Would they say that

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Proverbs 18:21 Words have the power to motivate or destroy, energize or deflate, inspire or create despair. Many successful executives can remember the time their father failed to give affirmation to them as a child. The

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9 The apostle Peter was one of three disciples who walked with Jesus closer than the other nine. He was the most enthusiastic and the one man who was willing

“I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.” – John 3:11 Over the last several years I have seen two distinct types of Christian workplace believers. One type enthusiastically teaches their Bible knowledge to others.

“Then Moses said to them, ‘No one is to keep any of it until morning.’” – Exodus 16:19 Have you ever seen God do something really good in your life only to find that you have abused the blessing He gave you? Such was the case of the Israelites as they were traveling through the

“And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant.” – Exodus 14:31 What makes an effective Christian leader today? Is it charisma? Is it ability? Is it communication and oratory skills? God’s view of