I recently saw someone at church I hadn’t seen in a long time. As soon as we had a chance to greet one another, I made a bee line to him to say hi and give him a hug. He was obviously uncomfortable and a little shy of looking anyone in the eyes, but he hugged me back as others ...

Warning: I’m about to rant… I saw a sign in front of a church that said, “God will not give you more than you can handle.” Now where is that scripture? Because the implication is if you’re sick, broke, or overwhelmed, God is the one who gave it to you, but don’t worry, He knows how much you can take… ...

It’s so easy to get in a routine and forget that faith still pleases God. For example, I recently woke up early to write my blog but accidentally dozed back off for 45 minutes. Although the extra rest was nice, the problem was my schedule wasn’t going to be very lenient and I lost some valuable time. But in my ...

When I wrote my first book about righteousness in 2003, my grandmother was 83 years old. Even at that age, I greatly admired her. She was hospitable, beautiful, and in every way reminded me of the Proverbs 31 woman. As we stood in her kitchen in Mt. Vernon, Texas, I was surprised at what she told me about my book. ...

The only thing worse than your past is a future that’s bound by the past. In three short words, Jesus gave us a visual of this when He said, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). Another translation says, “Don’t forget the example of Lot’s wife and what happened to her when she turned back” (TPT). If you don’t know the story, ...

Do you know anyone who’s ever said (and meant it): “I have arrived” (?) I’m not talking about getting off the plane in the Caribbean for vacation, or teasingly showing up at the parent’s house for the holidays. I mean, I have personally never met anyone who legitimately thinks they’ve arrived IN LIFE. Most would agree life is a journey, ...

You’ve heard it. You can quote it. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Jesus said this several times as He ministered to the multitudes regarding the truths of God’s Kingdom. And now, over 2,000 years later, the question remains: Can you hear me now? (This is my modern version of what Jesus was saying.) But hear what? ...

“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). If you’ve followed me for very long, you know that I love the word righteousness and all that it means for the believer. Therefore, this scripture (along with many, many others) is highlighted in my Bible for the sheer ...

Did you know you were made in the image of God, even before you gave your heart to Him? This means that no matter what you’ve done, what regrets you’ve carried, or how late or early you came to Christ, God never said, “Uh-oh.” He’s never been found crying over spilled milk either. Nothing surprises God. In other words, God ...

Ok, so in Christians circles you hear this said a lot: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” In fact, I’m one to bring it up pretty often myself. But let’s read it in context because there’s more to this than we might realize. [Jesus said] “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else ...

I had an opportunity to be mad and frustrated. In my heart, I stood in that doorway about to go all the way in when the Holy Spirit said, “You don’t have to go there.” Thank you Holy Spirit. I would’ve regretted it. I always do. The reactions of the flesh profit nothing. Outbursts of anger, frustration, and the like, ...

Fear has become the great enemy of our generation. I’ve personally dealt with it, seen it first-hand at home with one of my children, and in the many lives of people God brings across my path. And in all honesty, it angers me. Fear can be a debilitating disease, hindering people’s growth and endangering their future. And in the famous ...

Sometimes you have to go back to the beginning. Why am I here? How did I get here? What am I doing? Am I making a difference? These are natural human questions pointed directly toward the only One who can answer them. For some, it leads to salvation. I know it did for me. Or at least the first three ...

I have a sweet friend who used to teach kindergarten. She told me about a discussion some of her students once had about Easter. She said one particular little girl told the others, “It’s just so sad that Jesus has to die every year.” I laughed when I heard this story. The innocence of children always makes me smile. Obviously, ...

God is using Mirror Ministries to reach an unseen people group: prison inmates. We receive mail every week from men and women requesting our books and most letters share a testimony of what they are learning and how these resources are helping them. Let’s call today “Testimony Tuesday” –I want to glorify the work God is doing in lives behind ...

It’s hard to say what a proper response to God is, meaning, it’s difficult to define because it has to be authentic. For sure, I think it’s safe to say those who approach God must have faith. “For without faith, it is impossible to please Him…” (Hebrews 11:6). This is definitely a necessary ingredient no matter what posture we take ...

“The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God…” –but a repentant heart does. Whether you thought it was staged or not, everyone who watched (or heard about) the Oscars on Sunday saw this play out for us perfectly. Will Smith apparently got angry with host Chris Rock for using his wife as the brunt of a joke ...

There is a rest in God. To rest means to cease from work— and in the Christian world, ”works” is not a word we want to get entangled with. Religion produces works. The do’s and don’ts become bondage and often turn people away from the One who would give them the real rest they seek. I recently told a group ...