BLOGS
Better Together: United in the Bonds of Peace
Despite what many may think, unity is not everyone thinking the same. Unity is the commitment to love and honor despite our differences. God made us different on purpose. He did not create us to be robots, to all think and act the same way. He made each one of us unique—with special gifts and talents that, when partnered with His Spirit, are meant to bring people into His Kingdom. It is so true that when we work together, our efforts grow exponentially. We are better together, because our efforts are multiplied…
Killing Entitlement: Generosity Isn’t Just Monetary
Whatever you invest your treasure in is indicative of where your heart is. Whatever you are generous toward is what has your heart, whether it’s your kids, your friends, your hobbies, or even your time. If you’re invested, it matters to you.
Today, I want to give us a broader perspective, to “zoom out” if you will. In our culture, it is so easy to get entangled in the trap of entitlement. We are incredibly blessed here in the U.S. However, blessing can quickly turn into entitlement and overindulgence, and entitlement will strangle generosity quicker than anything else. We have to remember that we are not subject to the ways of this world. You’re a partner of God's Kingdom before you're a part of this nation. As members of this great nation, we tend to believe that we deserve to have it our way…
Generosity Grows in the Soil of Gratitude
“You don’t have to eat those vegetables. You get to eat those vegetables.”
I laugh as my kids screw up their noses at my husband. This adage has become commonplace in our home. “You don’t have to. You get to.” While it annoys our kids to no end, I hope someday they will see the value in this very subtle perception change…
Generosity is a Heart Issue
I’m sure most of us have heard this adage, “God loves a cheerful giver”. Over the coming weeks, we will be discussing this concept of Kingdom Builders and what it means to be a radically generous giver. First, let's take a look at a very well-known verse in the Passion Translation:
“Here’s my point. A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous spirit will reap an abundant harvest. Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity!”
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 TPT
I love that—hilarious generosity…
Swiss Cheese Faith
Recently, I was visiting with a powerful man of God from our congregation. We were discussing my recent book, Foundation Stones, and he mentioned how important it is to ensure people reinforce their faith with truth. He felt that, as Christians, we need to guard ourselves against ignorance regarding important doctrines and theology, so that we may know God better and not be vulnerable to the deception of the world. It was then that he used a term I had never heard before, the Swiss Cheese Model…
Remaining Grateful
As you read today’s devotional, pay special attention to the scriptures and concepts. At the end of your reading, there are discussion questions for you and your family and friends as you sit around the table or in your living room! Make your discussion time memorable and enjoy God’s presence as you talk about the importance of gratitude in your life as a Christian!
It’s that time of year again! Thanksgiving is upon us, the fall leaves have dropped and we’re settling in for a cozy holiday season. The actual Thanksgiving holiday has a rich and diverse history throughout the centuries, but in most traditions, we know it as a day to share a meal where family, friends, and even strangers come together to remember and appreciate their blessings. As believers in Jesus Christ we take it a step further, using the day as a time of gratitude to our Heavenly Father Who has given us way more than any of us have ever deserved. The greatest gifts we have are forgiveness and eternity in heaven because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross!
Trusting God’s Justice in an Unjust World
One of the most difficult questions people wrestle with is this: How can God be just when injustice is rampant, when evil seems to prosper, and when bad things happen to “good” people?
At the heart of this struggle are some deep misconceptions—flaws in our thinking—that need to be brought into the light of Scripture…
Cultivating Character, Releasing Power: The Spirit’s Fruit and Gifts in Harmony
The gifts of the Spirit are an exciting part of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The gifts, sich as prophecy, speaking in tongues, and gifts of healing are all tools that we use to minister the love and goodness of God to those in need. But even more important is the foundation—the fruit of the Spirit…
From Garden to Great Commission: God’s Call to Multiply
Lately, as I’ve been working through my MIT course The Spirit-Empowered Church, I’ve been reflecting on the biblical idea of “increase and multiply.” From the very beginning, God gave this mandate to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden:
“God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’”
— Genesis 1:28
This call to fruitfulness was not just about physical procreation—it pointed to a deeper reality. As believers in Christ today, what does it mean to “reproduce” in the Kingdom of God…
Four Portraits of Jesus: A Look at the Gospels
The four Gospels each give us a unique portrait of Jesus—who He is, what He came to do, and how His life fulfilled God’s plan for salvation. While they tell many of the same stories, each author wrote with a distinct purpose, shining a light on a particular facet of Christ’s identity. Together, they create a complete picture of our Savior: King, Servant, Savior of all, and Son of God. As I've been reading through my latest book for the Ministers in Training program, I wanted to give a little insight into what I’ve been learning…
The Garden Within: Tending the Heart God Planted in You
When we read about the Garden of Eden, it can feel like a distant story—something that happened “back then.” But what if Eden is not just history, but a picture of what God planted inside us? Scripture and even biology reveal that the garden is not only a place for us, but a place within us…
The Greatest Miracle
I had never seen anything like it, let alone experienced someone being healed in such a radical way. When I was in South Africa during a mission trip, I was called upon by one of the pastors to pray with him for a woman who had a cancerous tumour on her foot, and had been in a wheelchair for months. We prayed, and he had me lay my hand on her shoulder. Immediately, the woman started manifesting an evil spirit and fell out of the wheelchair. The preacher continued to pray for her, and the tumor began to shrink. That night, the sweet African woman was healed of cancer and delivered from a demon by the power of the Holy Spirit. It was amazing to see and be a part of in a small way, and an experience I will never forget…
Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket: The Key to True Fulfillment
Imagine being invited by Pastor Jim to join him for a day. Perhaps, like me, you were a little bored and thought, “Why not?” It didn’t take long for you to realize that there was something different about Pastor Jim. Miracles happened everywhere he went, and it wasn’t just by chance. Every person he prayed for was healed. Unexplainable, supernatural things took place regularly…
Changing Methods, Same Message
Recently I’ve been reading about the circuit riders in my AG History and Governance Course and it struck me what a sacrifice their lives were. But we’re called to nothing less in our day and age. It may look a little different, but we are all called to lay our lives down for the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ…