Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died. Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers. Acts 12:23, 24 I took a Judo class in college. The instructor taught …
End-of-rope-ology
You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. Matthew 5:3 So many times, I’ve tried to think through or figure out a situation, when I really needed to just let go. I sat in meetings with CEO’s of large companies thinking, “What am I doing …
Face it
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ “-Eleanor Roosevelt “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you …
One Day
One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So, after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. Acts 13:2-3 See the amazing faith of these mature men who …
Crucial Conversation
“The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.” Matthew 12:35 We hear all the time if a crucial conversation needs to happen, make sure you pick up the phone, or try to talk face to face and not by email. Whichever method …
Raw Courage and a Pure Heart
Paul looked the sorcerer in the eye. Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck …
Celebrate God in Each Other
“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!” Philippians 4:4-5 What does it mean to celebrate God …
What Can We Learn from King Herod?
Now Herod was very angry with the people… Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech. The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!” Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of …
I Once Was Lost
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” -Isaiah 53:6 One day at lunch I was seeking tranquility from a heavy workload and I found myself looking at God’s beauty at our local golf course. It’s beautiful there and I was soaking …
When Hatred Strikes
King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. …
Ant Faith
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8 The ant was designed with a God-given set of instincts that drive the outcome of her behavior and discipline. But we’re the same, designed by an …
Lighting the Darkness
“I will go before you…” “And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness— secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. Isaiah 45:1,3 Jesus gives us night vision to see opportunities, wisdom, and paths that are humanly impossible to …
I Didn’t See Myself as Lazy
Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper. Proverbs 13:4 For most of my life, I’ve wanted to play guitar and sing. In recent years I’ve wanted to play and sing to God with Gina. Most of the time when we played, we got frustrated with each other. As Gina and I are …
Chosen Words
The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. Proverbs 10:11 Our words can bring life to others or tear them down. One wrong word or tone can change what someone hears or feels about what you’re saying and turn them in the right or wrong direction. We should only use …
Greater is He Who Serves
Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:27 I’m a selfish, self-absorbed person who would do anything to get out of serving others: Cast vision. Delegate. Give money. …
Little Me, Big World
The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. Psalm 29:3-4 People fill their tiny little brains with so much noise, they drown out the world around them. Sometimes it’s busy, crazy, chaotic noise. Sometimes it’s white noise. Either way, it’s …
Don’t Worry About the Speck in Your Friend’s Eye
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” Matthew 7:1 Many times, we create a standard to live by. Then we judge the people around us or compare ourselves to how we’re doing …
Looping Logic
Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there. Acts 19:32 Loral Langemeier, one of my first business coaches, taught me about looping logic. Suppose you had a flat tire on the …
Harmonious Team
This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:25-27 When we work …
My Father Prayer
Jacob wrestled with God… Genesis 32 Lord, I’m crippled. I’m broken. I can’t go on. How can I be the father I never had? I don’t know the ways of God. my personality stinks. But Lord, here I am, standing alone like a little lost child. And I’m going to stand here. And I’m going to fight. I will …
Heart Matters
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:3 So, it comes down to the intent of the heart…pretty simple but it’s not always easy to do. On a recent 4-hour flight, a 2-year-old sat …
Our Fickle Emotions
When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!” Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. Psalm 30:6-7 These two verses summarize David’s emotional roller coaster. When life runs smoothly, I think I’m unstoppable. Then one little thing breaks, and I think my world …
Intentionally Seeking God
And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD. 2 Chronicles 12:14 Seeking God doesn’t just accidentally happen. We have to be intentional. We have to prepare our hearts. Preparing takes time. It takes work. It takes humility. Ben
Sooner Than We Think
This is, all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. Romans 13:11 On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport), on the Spanish island of Tenerife, …
Not Alone
But now, listen to the Lord who created you. the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 Rejection can take bites out of a person’s core and whittle away at the very substance of who we are. It can give the …
Stop Being Phony
Here’s how we can be sure that we’ve truly come to know God: if we keep his commands. If someone claims, “I have come to know God by experience,” yet doesn’t keep God’s commands, he is a phony and the truth finds no place in him. We can be sure that we’ve truly come to live in intimacy with …
Sincere Darkness
Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! Matthew 6: 22, 23 If I …
The Day I Realized I Might Not Be a Duck
My life had fallen into the deepest, darkest night of the soul I had ever known. I was spiraling down, down, deeper and deeper. In 1996, my book, Weeping May Endure For a Night had just been published. People were calling me for advice I didn’t know how to give. They thought I could help them. I wanted to …
Treasure in Clay Jars
We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that the extraordinary overflow of power will be seen as God’s, not ours. Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. 2 Corinthians 4:7-8 “We are like common clay jars. …
All of Us Are Blind
Then Jesus spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.” So, the man went and washed and came back seeing! John 9:6-7 With another man, Jesus used spit without mud and healed him in two phases. First, the man saw …
