Blog
It is very humbling to look back at the times I have been shortsighted. I understood just one narrow piece of truth. And my greatest strengths also contained my greatest weaknesses. I also look back with gratitude for how God will turn my immature wisdom and manhood...
When someone suffers a life-altering tragedy—the loss of a spouse, the death of a child, or the deepest kind of rejection and isolation—sometimes, all they need is someone to stand alongside them in silence. The shock of loss and the capacity of the human heart...
A long life can certainly be a blessing. For those who die far earlier than we think they should, the heartache of loss is compounded exponentially. Recently, a young man died in his twenties. He was loved by so many, known for his faith and integrity. He was strong...
Have you ever doubted that you have eternal life? The Apostle John wrote a letter for that very purpose. We can know with assurance, without a shadow of a doubt, that we have eternal life. “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have...
Trying to change ourselves never works. We cannot manage our sin well enough to become holy, grow more like Jesus, or please Him. Most of us have tried—and failed. Our hope rests securely in this truth: God is pure light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. We...
In the mid-1990s, wolves were reintroduced from Canada down into Montana and Idaho. Their killings and the damage they cause remain significant for ranchers, who primarily face the loss of cattle, sheep, and pets. Millions of dollars have been spent on deterrents,...
Each generation receives prophetic words spoken over them by the fathers and mothers of faith from the generation before. Jan and I have received such words from people like Dick Mills, Jean Darnall, and others who carry a similar heart. They spoke hope-filled words...
God designed us to heal in our brains. Dr. Warren, a neurosurgeon, wrote that as soon as we are ready to change, our brain is ready to change. Neuroplasticity shows that how we respond to a person rubs off on them. They pick up our emotional state and begin to make...
It is wisdom to judge our own hearts. Judging what is just and right is to have a conscience shaped by God’s truth. As we face the issues of the day, our God-shaped conscience bears witness. Our conscience takes a stand and testifies to what is true or not about our...
We are called to enter the battle over our cities and lift them up higher. And there is a measurement we can use to discern the spiritual condition of our city, state, and nation: Corporate godliness and righteousness (all that is just and right) brings a benefit to...
There is something much deeper that we can all possess beyond personality types, family dynamics, lineages, and inheritances. Those who know God can learn to discern spiritual realities. Ignoring important truths distorts our thinking. Human interpretations of reality...
I have been impressed with the openness of many in the generations after ours who communicate openly and honestly and are willing to listen to wise counsel. At that earlier age, my parents' generation influenced me with its value of rugged independence and...
The Father imparts His gift of revealed truth to His sons and daughters who listen to His corrections. When we resist or refuse the wisdom these corrections bring, it is a sign that we don’t really trust anyone—even the Father. Trust was broken long before, and it...
I pray for this gift: “Ears to hear and eyes to see— both are gifts from the Lord” (Proverbs 20:12). That gift reminds me of a life-threatening event I experienced in 1992. I was flying IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) thousands of feet above the Earth in solid clouds,...
It would be interesting to take a poll to see how many of us have been influenced by a parent, teacher, or friend who was willing to admit a mistake and ask for forgiveness—someone with a teachable heart who taught us by example what it meant to have integrity. There...