Weed CreepOther seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Matthew 13:7 (NIV)I made the alarming discovery yesterday that my strawberry patch is in trouble. All spring, I've been watching the plants grow, hoping for an encore performance of last...
A life without margin can squeeze the life out of you. Margin creates space to enjoy life in every area. That even includes finding financial breathing room. Financial margin is the space between what you spend and what you have. Margin with your money gives you...
Life without margin can be exhausting and even dangerous, especially when you live without moral boundaries. When you set moral boundaries you create space that discourages unwise or sinful decisions. A simple commitment to a self-imposed moral margin positions you to...
Take an informal survey and you’ll find that most people admit to being too busy. Seems like there’s barely enough room in our schedules to find time for the things that matter most. Without margin in our daily routine, we will at best become exhausted and at worse...
Astonished or Afraid?The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Mark 10:32b (NLT)M y Lent reading plan has me hanging out in the book of Mark in preparation for Easter. If the book of John is a love story, Mark is...
It's All About HimI have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20 (ESV)J oe and I joined a...
When it comes to Jesus, one thing was certain: He prayed a lot. As Jesus approaches His soon and certain death, He concludes His intimate conversation with His disciples by praying. As He talks to the Father, He prays for Himself, for the disciples and for all who...
Astonished or Afraid?The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Mark 10:32b (NLT)M y Lent reading plan has me hanging out in the book of Mark in preparation for Easter. If the book of John is a love story, Mark is...
We can have joy in our lives that is indestructible. Who wouldn’t want that? But how do we get it? We look to many different sources for joy; we make plans and develop expectations that we believe will give us happy lives. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not...
RememberRemember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Isaiah 46:9 (ESV)I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, because my philosophy is: If you want to change, then change. You don't need a special day to...
There are times in life when what appears to be worse actually winds up being better. We can often look back on our lives and see that if we had gotten what we thought was better at the time, we would be much worse off now. In the midst of the pain of the worse, we...
It is a popular notion today that if we believe in Jesus and do our best to follow Him that we will be happy, healthy, and wise. The problem with this view is that Jesus never said any such thing; quite the opposite. Jesus’ message to His followers was that, if we...
Last words are lasting words. When someone special says goodbye, the experience can be moving and memorable. Imagine how Jesus’ closest friends felt when He told them He was going away. That conversation shaped them for life. Jesus’ words to His disciples prior to His...
Before You GoAnd Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to...
Last words are lasting words. When someone special says goodbye, the experience can be moving and memorable. Imagine how Jesus’ closest friends felt when He told them He was going away. That conversation shaped them for life. Jesus’ words to His disciples prior to His...
Valuable Real EstateYou have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:9b-10 (NIV)I recently discovered that my night stand has a real estate problem. Since...
With departure can come anxiety on the part of those left behind. Jesus knew His disciples would experience a sense of loss and confusion after he left, so He helped them understand what they were supposed to do and how they would be able to accomplish it. These ideas...
Last words are lasting words. When someone special says goodbye, the experience can be moving and memorable. Imagine how Jesus’ closest friends felt when He told them He was going away. That conversation shaped them for life. Jesus’ words to His disciples prior to His...
He Is ThereThe LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (NIV)W hen things go as planned, I can be lulled into a false sense of security. In this American middle-class life, it is easy to fool myself into thinking I don't...
It’s hard to imagine anything that is more painful than betrayal. Betrayal, by its very nature, can only be done by someone close to us; by someone we trust. The results are devastating and shake us to the very core. As Jesus was preparing for His departure, He was...
Listening PrayerDo not call mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. "Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19 (NASB)...