Why must we suffer? Suffering is very relative, but to each individual it can be all consuming. Many believe that God could not be “good” if he allows suffering… most certainly He can’t be loving… right? This is a tough paradox. How can a loving God “slay us” as Job described in Job 13:15? Job, in chapter 13, responds to a friend who is accusing him and encouraging him to abandon the Lord. Job responds by saying, he will take his issues up wit ...

Recently I was talking with a very good friend. Each time I really “get into the details” with a close friend, I come out changed. We were discussing some new music and old music. My friend told me that he really has connected with Rich Mullins. I was kinda blown away by this because I was never a huge Rich Mullins fan. I appreciated his story and that he was a pioneer for Christians in music, but I never particularly LOVED his stuff. In our c ...

If you are like me, sometimes it is not just enough to be right… the other person has to be wrong! It’s not enough to win, the other person has to lose! Does this hit home to anyone else? I hate that I allow my actions and my thoughts to go there… more often than I would like to admit. Here are a few verses that have helped me evaluate my heart: Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Proverbs 12:2 ...

Sometimes I get in funks. I think we all do. There are ebbs and flows to our lives, relationships and especially our spiritual journey and growth. To be honest this frustrates me. The reason it frustrates me is because I remember the “mountain top” times. The times where you feel like God hears every prayer. The times where you feel like your worship is received with open arms. The times when the “warm and fuzzies” are extremely accessible. Th ...

Several weeks ago I was dealing with a sin in my life that was crushing me. I had been dealing with this particular sin for a while and seemingly could not find any victory over it. The enemy had convinced me that if I told anyone about it that my world would come crashing down on me somehow. On top of that, my pride continued to grow as I covered up this sin and hid it from the world. This lie and my growing pride left me feeling alone and shame ...

Sometimes I wonder why, we as Christians, put so many obstacles in our own way. We allow anything that is not common to us or culturally acceptable to determine our actions toward someone. I get it. It’s hard to love the “hard to love”, but has God called us to only do it when it is easy, convenient, culturally in sync, non taboo, etc., ? Let’s examine Acts 10. There is a story about a centurion of the Italian court named Cornelius. In Acts 10 ...