Under the Rule of Grace
The prodigal son needed what the apostle Paul calls a “renewing of the mind.” This wayward son had a mindset of condemnation and was nervous about going back home. These words from the parable, though, show his father’s mindset: “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on…
Healing from Approval Addiction
We have become a society of people who crave approval. Sadly, this dependence on external validation for our success also exists within the church. I speak to pastors all over the world. As a pastor myself I know that we have a big problem with this. “If the church reaches 500 or 1,000, when we’re…
Staying Clear of Spiritual Fentanyl
I just saw this statistic that 37 percent of all the pastors in America polled say that if you live a good life, you’ll go to heaven. Now, if we look at Galatians, we read, “Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value…
God Is Able to See You Through
The most important question facing God’s people in these last days is “Do you believe God is able to see you through? Do you believe he can do all that is necessary to answer your prayers and meet your needs?” Jesus asked these same questions when he was on the earth. In Matthew 9, before…
Precious in His Sight
I have always told my children, “When you’re in need, when you’re hurting, just call me. I’ll be there! I don’t care where I am, I’ll come!” If I as an earthly father love my children this much, just think how much more our heavenly Father cares. Will he not respond when we call? The…
Obedience Opens the Floodgates
It was said of Christ that he was obedient to his heavenly Father, not because of fear but because of the joy that was set before him. He laid aside all weights and ran the race with patience. He endured shame and never fainted or wearied in his mind because he saw the glorious rewards…
The Last Outpouring
I do not believe we have yet seen the glory and fullness of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as prophesied by Joel. What we have seen are just a few sprinkles! The power and love of the Holy Spirit have brought many together throughout the world, yet it is just a foretaste. God has…
Healing for Hidden Hurts
It’s interesting that every sin in the Bible is a relational sin, even the Ten Commandments. The first four deal with our relationship with God: “Have no other gods before me. Don’t take my name in vain.” The other six address our relationships with other people. Throughout scripture, every sin that’s mentioned — greed, pride,…
When God Leans In
Have you ever caught yourself leaning in as someone speaks? Maybe they weren’t speaking loud enough, and you didn’t want to miss anything. Or perhaps the content was so compelling that you were physically drawn in. I’m always encouraged as a preacher when I see people leaning in while I speak. I may be the…
The Spirit and Power of Elijah
The Old Testament closes out with this glorious prophecy: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike…