“Asking yourself the question of your own legacy (what do I wish to be remembered for?) is the beginning of adulthood.”  (St. Augustine) “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of…

Whenever I meet a believer in Christ who is discouraged with what they are seeing here in the West (primarily North America) in terms of spiritual decline, I like to encourage them with what God is doing around the world. And it is huge! Here are a few stats on the growth of Christianity throughout Asia,…

The Comfort of God’s Promises How do we respond when we’ve been wronged? Treated unjustly? It’s natural to feel anger. To want to get revenge (whether in word or deed). The Apostle Paul tells us how we are to respond: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is…

Did you know that if you spent just 7 minutes a day reading the Bible, you would read it cover to cover in 2 years? That means that in 10 years, it would be possible to read through the entire Bible 5 times. We all have 1,440 minutes each day. Can you find 7 minutes each day…

In my 45 years of walking with Jesus, two spiritual practices have strengthened and encouraged my soul as much as anything else.What are those two practices? Memorizing God’s Word Meditating on God’s Word Memorizing God’s Word allows you to have it readily accessible 24/7. Find yourself troubled in the middle of the night? God’s Word is instantly…

“In everything give thanks.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 – NASB) I grew up Lutheran, and one of the traditions we had as a family was singing the Doxology before every Thanksgiving dinner. It set the tone, and it always reminded me that these “blessings” (visible and invisible) ultimately flow from God… and therefore He is to be…

Dear Friends, It’s been a while since I’ve posted some “Quotes to Note.” Here are a few that I pray will encourage and challenge you… “Even to your old age and grey hairsI am he, I am he who will sustain you.I have made you and I will carry you;I will sustain you and I will…

Steve Haas writes at Lausanne.org about the dangers that can come when our words and faith commitments become de-linked from our deeds and actions. One of several historical examples he points to includes Rwanda in the early 1990s, famously portrayed in the moving film Hotel Rwanda. Scripture tells us that coming to faith in Christ…

Easily one of the best books I have read this past year is Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Suffers by Dane Ortlund. It is filled with one profound truth after another. I’ve read it through twice and keep coming back to it for encouragement and nourishment for my own soul.…

TO GIVE PERSPECTIVE “Leadership and pastoral training in America is like opening another restaurant (there are plenty on virtually every corner). In the developing world, leadership and pastoral training is like opening a food pantry in the midst of starving people.” TO ENCOURAGE “All that is gold does not glitter Not all those who wander…