Appointed: Understanding your God-given purpose
Did you catch what he said? So much good stuff here but two BIG things jump out at me (they are the two bold phrases in case you were wondering): Paul is saying that purpose is given by GOD, and that he (Paul) knew what that purpose was. He said that he was “appointed” a preacher and apostle and teacher. God established the purpose for Paul’s life. This is an incredible truth that does not only apply to New Testament Apostles. It applies to all of us! So the big question is, “how can we understand GODS purpose for our lives?”
Grace and Mercy
How often have you allowed something in your past to keep you from moving forward? You live as though you do not deserve a relationship with God or His blessing on your life because of decisions that you have made, people you have hurt, or just the simple belief that you are inadequate. The good news is that when we really understand both Grace AND Mercy, we begin to realize that we can move forward. Not because of us but because of God!
The Failure of Fear
If there is one thing on which we can all agree, it's that the world can be a scary place. Whether we are talking about war and global economic strife or the everyday challenges of work and home, fear is a normal emotion that each of us...
Run The Mile You Are In
It can be so easy when covering a distance that will take several hours to start doing the math of how do I feel vs how far do I have left to go. And if you think about it for too long the only logical conclusion that you can come to is to quit! Do you know how to avoid this during an ultra marathon? Stop doing the math and start focusing on the mile you are currently running. The funny thing about long races is that they are made up entirely of 1 mile segments. So, if you put together enough single miles, you will cover any distance! Convincing yourself to finish the mile you are in, though, is so much easier than trying to triangulate how you will be feeling in five, ten, or twenty miles from now. Run the mile you are in.
How Do We Endure?
How do we endure? I am having a really hard time writing this post. I'm not struggling because the content is too deep or I don't exactly know what to say or because I am somehow conflicted on the topic. I'm struggling because I just...
What Do I Do Now?
“What do I do now?” Have you ever asked yourself that question? Whether you are experiencing a life transition, find yourself in a place you never thought possible, or are simply trying to figure out where you go from here, it can be...
What is Character?
Character is doing right even when no one else is looking but it is allowing God to determine what is “Right” (and realizing that He is always watching)! Practically this means that, if we are acting from a place of character, we will be the Husband or Wife, Parent, Employee or Citizen that God wants us to be even if those who should support us and respond well do not. A person of character is completely committed to living their life according to God and His Word.
Accountability Matters
One of the most powerful things that we can do if we truly want to be successful is also one of the last things that most of us want to do! What can we do? Add ACCOUNTABILITY to our lives. We stay away from accountability because we don't...
The Cost of Moving Forward
Choosing to move forward is choosing to PREPARE to move forward. What makes preparation so hard though is that it COMES WITH A COST (I use capital letters when I would prefer to be yelling). I would argue, however, that the cost of not preparing is much higher than the cost of being ready and equipped when life’s inevitable difficulties come your way. Preparing is hard but makes success in life much more achievable than simply hoping that nothing bad ever happens. You will either pay the price now by preparing or pay the price later by struggling to survive.
Living a Culturally Resilient Life
There is no question that our culture is changing at a pace none of us could have imagined. And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. But even though it is changing, culture does not need to overwhelm and defeat us-we simply need to focus on becoming Culturally Resilient. We will get knocked down. The important thing is that we get back up quickly, focus on “true north” and start moving forward!