Expectations are beliefs springing from our thoughts and experiences. When our expectations are met (even our negative ones) we feel empowered, like our lives make sense. But what if our expectations are denied over and over again … or our assumed outcomes never materialize ... what then? We tend to react with feelings of anger, [...]
People today are looking for the real deal. Even though we like to take our selfies and project a better-than-real-life image of ourselves in public, we still yearn for authenticity, something we know to be true and trustworthy. But in a world of photo-shopped images, assumed identities, and fake news, how do people ever become [...]
I’ve tried to ignore the elephant in the room, but I feel the Holy Spirit wants me to talk about something rather unpleasant: POLITICS. In the West, our political climate is filled with division, misunderstanding, and hostility as opposing parties battle for dominance. It’s hard to engage in any discussions about our government (even though [...]
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” When the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost, the disciples received power to be witnesses of Jesus (Acts 1:8). They went out declaring the good news that Jesus had risen from the dead. Soon everyone born of His Spirit – not just the apostles – was giving [...]
Building a relationship with anyone is hard work. That’s not because the person is necessarily difficult to know or enjoy. It’s just that we must be willing to spend the time to find out things about them – what they like and dislike, their background, their future dreams, as well as the fears and concerns [...]
"The Lord your God ... went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go." (Deuteronomy 1:33) Continuing our series on the Holy Spirit, I’d like to discuss another aspect of [...]
Anyone who follows college basketball looks forward to the annual conference we call March Madness. The best teams from universities across the country compete to see which team will become the nation’s champion. It’s a dizzying few weeks of high octane basketball. Part of the fun is seeing underdogs take out highly ranked teams and [...]
Most of us know the correct answers when it comes to the Holy Spirit. From Scripture we’ve learned something about Him and how He works. We know He’s God, the third person of the Trinity. We know He came to live inside us when we were born again and that His role in our lives [...]
A brand new year! Spotless and full of promise at this point but also fraught with new challenges, maybe even danger. So how will we engage it? To boldly step out and face 2018 without fear won’t be easy for some of us. We’re struggling with health problems that could become serious in the months [...]
Nothing calms a sheep down better than the sudden appearance of the shepherd. Whether it’s busy butting other sheep in a power struggle, agitated by hunger or thirst, frightened by some danger (real or imagined), or is cast down, lying upside down in a helpless state with no hope of righting itself … whatever is [...]
Adventuring with God 