Thankfulness is a key indicator of true, eternal usefulness. But the Bible never tells us anywhere to contrive thankfulness, as if thankfulness itself is power and a sign of nobility. Many scientific studies have found therapeutic benefits to thankfulness, but God wants more for us than just a noble character and a healthy body. To be noble and healthy are good goals, but ...

Small steps of faith are the long pry bar that moves mountains of change....

How do we respond to the recent election cycle? What actions would make our response wise and profitable? I suggest thinking about two crucial issues: culture, and distraction. The collective mind (culture) of our country shifted swiftly in recent years, and the Supreme Court ratified the culture change. As Chief Justice Roberts said at the time of the "gay marriage" ruli...

It used to be that four tenets ruled most Christians' church life: 1. Act like you've got it together. 2. Isolate yourself. 3. Ministry is programs. 4. Bible reading is for me alone. This kind of church approach resulted in the entrance of many programs - a weekly newsletter chocked full of calendar events. But a plethora of programs pushed out the work of one-to-one,...