Experiencing God builds our faith and is a way God loves to work. In 2001 I led a large group of high school students on a mission trip to Mexico. We built a home for a needy family there, but the most incredible experience was ministering to the couple next door. Our team was able …
Overcoming barriers in life is easier with God’s help. When God helps us overcome, He shows He loves and cares for us. When our oldest daughter started junior high, the school was such a poor environment she began to cause problems at home. We were frustrated because we were unsure what to do. We prayed …
A significant theme throughout the Scriptures is that God goes ahead of us. How does knowing that make you feel? Before the Lord created Adam, He prepared the earth; on the sixth day, when all was designed, the Lord brought him into the world. When the Israelites wandered in the desert, the Lord went ahead …
Following God by faith has been a challenge for believers throughout history. Noah had to trust the Lord and build an ark to save his family years before the Lord sent a flood. During Noah’s days, the Lord God watered the vegetation in a different way that did not require rain. Think of all the …
The Lord is giving, which is a characteristic of who He is. There is not a day that goes by that the Lord is not giving us a gift such as food, shelter, the gift of faith, family, and the list goes on. Without a giving God, we could not survive one day. You may …
Moving forward when God says no is not a good idea. In the Lord’s mercy, He gives us warnings because He knows what is ahead and we don’t. When the Lord gives us warnings, we simply need to trust Him because He loves and cares for us. I remember driving five hours with our family …
I don’t want to experience when God’s patience runs out. Over and over in the Bible, Scripture talks about the Lord’s patience and long-suffering. Psalm 103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry, and filled with unfailing love. [1] As you meditate on this verse, you see the words “slow to get angry,” …
The trap of negativity can catch any of us. A fellow pastor was at a large gathering I was attending, and he gave a message “What is in the Air Makes a Difference.” The statement summarized that we can bring love, joy, and happiness into a room or gloom, despair, and negativity. I believe we …
Having a heart for God is life-changing. I met a man who was a professional football player in his prime a few years ago. As he entered the world of professional sports, he achieved what the world said was successful. What he did not count on was that the world lied to him. With wealth …
Failing to listen to God as we journey through life takes us on unexpected detours and difficult trials we could have avoided. The Lord had repeatedly called one of my friends to go into full-time ministry. Over the years, the Lord, in His patience, pursued this young man who instead ran away from his destiny. …