Victor Hugo said, “You can give without loving, but you can never LOVE without giving.” Isn’t this so true? Giving can come in all forms: out of obligation, required (like a staff party), out of guilt, etc., so love isn’t always the motivator to giving (in other words, you can give without loving). But… you can never LOVE without giving. ...
SO WHAT DO THE SCRIPTURES TELL US ABOUT GOD? Here’s the deal… if we don’t see God in the right light, we won’t be able to understand and see a lot of things correctly. In order to grow and mature in your walk with God, you have to first KNOW HIM. The Bible says GOD IS LOVE. In fact, the ...
Satan knows how we see ourselves is a key element to our relationship with God. His goal is to get us to re-think EVERYTHING about God, about life, about everything. He wants to hinder us from walking in the fullness of God’s plan as we’ve already learned from 2 Corinthians 2:11, “Lest Satan should take advantage of us, we shouldn’t be ...
I recently told you righteousness is God’s RIGHT SYSTEM. The real definition of righteousness is right-standing with God; the ability to stand before Him without guilt or inferiority as if you had never sinned. What’s interesting about this definition is, if righteousness means to stand before God without guilt, it’s easy to see why the devil wants to feed us ...
So let’s talk about condemnation. Number one, it’s a mean trick of the devil. Number two, it’s a self-pronounced sentence of guilt (meaning, it’s fed to you by the devil). And hopefully the obvious number three is (just to be clear), God’s not the author of it. CONVICTION IS HOW GOD CORRECTS US.CONDEMNATION IS HOW THE DEVIL DEFEATS US. To ...
If your car doesn’t have a built-in GPS, your smart phone probably does. It’s your map or guidance system (to keep you on the right course). And now that paper maps are a thing of the past, we need a GPS. Why? Because it’s easy to get lost on our own. In other words, we need directions and help. Life ...
Beautiful GodLaying Your majesty asideYou reached out in love to show me lifeLifted from darkness into lightKing for a slaveTrading Your righteousness for shame These are the opening words of the song, Like An Avalanche by Hillsong United. I am especially touched by the last phrase: Trading Your righteousness for shame. I remember when God first began opening my understanding ...
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 The Professional School of Psychology did an interesting study on the life of Abraham Lincoln. Due to documented reports of depression, they handed out an assignment to students that focused on the psychological study of his life. Each student prepared an essay describing the manner in which a contemporary psychologist might have ...
There is no fear in love. This is what the Holy Spirit told John to write to believers. Yet we see fear running rampant everywhere — fear of death, fear of illness, fear of lack, fear of fear. My daughter struggled with fear of everything when she was a little girl. I was constantly teaching her how to be confident ...
This article first appeared on The Christian Broadcasting Network | I grew up with a disorder called hypoglycemia. Basically, it was a problem with my pancreas and sugar intake and the major side effects I dealt with were nausea and weakness. It was constant so I simply learned to live with it. You can imagine however, my delight at the ...
This article first appeared on The Christian Broadcasting Network | When my husband and our family moved to the little town of Seminole, Texas (population 6,000) in 1999, we had no idea what all God had planned for us as pastors of a small church, but we decided early that God could do BIG things in small places. Over the ...
A woman walks into a party, already a bit nervous for no reason other than insecurity. Within a few seconds inside, she observes a small group whispering across the room. One glances her way and then turns back to the others with more whispers. She wants to leave. “They don’t like me. I knew this was a mistake to come…,” ...
As I laid down to go to sleep, I prayed: “Lord, forgive me. I had resentment in my heart today. Thank you for helping me recognize it, deal with it, and remove it…” LESSON ONE Jesus said, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you ...
When I was pregnant with our second son, the doctors scheduled me for a special procedure before delivery because he was breach. I’m not sure how I misunderstood my doctor, but I could’ve sworn she told me they were going to massage my stomach and coax the baby to turn around, but no… Instead, a specialist sat down on the ...
Our Christianity is meant to be lived out loud so when I see a lesson in action, I can’t help but want to share it with you. The Bible says, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).I’ve meditated on this ...
Soul wounds are real. They are the result of our mind, will, or emotions being so abruptly jolted that a wound is made upon the soul, leaving a scar that must be dealt with. I’ve had many soul wounds in my life — each one bringing me to the brink of despair. The death of a loved one, family strife, ...
When you think about it, emotions are an interesting attribute of our human make-up. God saw it fit to equip us with these feelings that influence our behavior. Emotions cause us to laugh, cry, yell, and sigh. They produce giggles, sobs, joy, and peace. And as I’m sure you know, some emotions are attached to sin, and yet God uses ...