The flood came and destroyed them. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. — Matthew 24:39 I did something different recently; I listened to the airline attendant as she gave her warnings. Typically, my nose is buried in a book or project, but a commercial plane had crashed the day before. Watching the newscasts of the…
Dig Deep & Reach Out
A certain tree has become a source of inspiration to me. Somehow the tree keeps popping up in everything I do. I’ve spoken about it in concerts and to student groups. I even used it as an illustration in one of my previous books, Your Own Jesus. Now my student ministry is called Thrive. This book is called Thrive.…
You Were Meant to Thrive
You were meant to do more than just survive. You were meant to thrive. You were not meant to struggle to make it through the week, the day, the next hour. You were not meant for your world to feel like a weight, for the break of dawn to be the starter pistol for another meaningless rat race. You…
What Unconditional Love Does Not Mean
If we are to love our kids unconditionally — regardless of their disobedience — it means we must come to grips with who we are as parents, independent of our children. As I mentioned, this family-of-origin stuff is very real for me. There were moments when I could feel it surging in me, just as I had seen it…
The Real Meaning of Unconditional Love
There is no condition that causes me to be unloving or disrespectful. In other words, if I am unloving or disrespectful, it is not because of certain circumstances caused by others that make me react unlovingly or disrespectfully. I choose to be harsh, independent of the circumstances. As one parent admitted to me: “We tend to be Christlike when the…
What’s Your Game Plan?
Today ’s quarterback can no longer be just a great athlete; he must also be a student of the game with an excellent memory. Some teams now have offensive playbooks that boast of 150–170 different plays! Even though players who reach the pro level are already familiar with the basics found in all team playbooks, most NFL teams spend a lot…
Faith = Surrender
What does having faith in Jesus as one’s Savior look like in real life? Scripture describes faith as a wholehearted trust in Christ personally (Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9). Not merely faith about Him; faith in Him. Note the difference: If I say I believe some promise you have made, I am saying far less than if I say I trust you.…
Do You Really Trust God?
Matthew 6:16–7:6 Fasting to Be Seen Only By God “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that…
Immeasurable Love
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. — John 3:16 Almighty and holy God, You “so loved the world” that You gave us the gift of Your “only begotten Son,” a gift beyond imagining. I am speechless at the realization that You allowed…
Here is God
I am with you always, even to the end of the age. — Matthew 28:20 When ancient sailors sketched maps of the oceans, they disclosed their fears. On the vast unexplored waters, cartographers wrote such words as “Here be dragons” and “Here be demons.” If you drew a map of your world, would we read such phrases? Over the unknown…