Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

No Greater Gift

by

All the words ever written or spoken combined would never be adequate to describe the wonder of our Savior. Every attempt I make to describe His beauty, majesty, or glory falls woefully short. I want to describe what a difference He has made in me, but even the things He has done in my brief life are beyond words and measure.

no greater gift,Christmas,love,majesty,glory,Jesus birth,humility,birth of Christ

How do you tell the story of a God who is, quite literally, everything? He already embodies and exceeds all the words I can muster in praise. The love of Christ is so great we are at once overwhelmed and speechless. How could a God like that take notice of someone like you and me?

[Read more…] about No Greater Gift

Looking Back

by

This is the time of year when many are writing about looking back over the past year, recounting lessons learned, blessings, and obstacles. Looking back is helpful only insomuch as it focuses us on the beauty and blessings of our Savior. There is a danger in looking back that we focus too much on ourselves and not on God. Considering what we have accomplished and overcome can inadvertently lead to self-satisfaction and pride.

looking back,mission,commitment,focus,God's Kingdom,discipline,Genesis 19:15-27,Lot's wife,Psalm 105:5,remember God's wonders,Matthew 6:34,today has enough trouble,Deuteronomy 8,remember what God has done,Kingdom of God,Luke 9:62,no one who puts their hand to the plow

Reflecting on our problems and challenges can lead us down a road of discouragement and despair rather than focusing on the One who provides everything we need. If we visit it lightly, the past can teach us a few lessons and serve as a wonderful reminder of the provision of our God. Better to leave it quickly though and focus instead on the work ahead.

[Read more…] about Looking Back

A Wasted Life

by

Millions of people around the world are wasting their lives living for things that don’t matter while professing to be followers of Jesus Christ. It is the rare follower of Jesus I encounter, whose life looks radically different from everyone else. I know my life too often looks more like someone pursuing (and sometimes even living) the American dream than it does that of a radical follower of Jesus. A wasted life.

a wasted life,surrender,commitment,discipleship,priorities,God's Kingdom,Luke 9:23-25,take up your cross daily,Matthew 7:21-23,depart from me;Matthew 25:31-46,sheep and goats,Matthew 25:14-30,parable of talents,Kingdom of God

Jesus calls us to live differently than our surrounding culture. When He was walking the earth, few things He did aligned with the social norms of His day. His life was radically different from those surrounding Him. Jesus wasn’t what anyone was expecting and everything they weren’t. We can talk about how different we are from others, but we find the proof in how we live.

[Read more…] about A Wasted Life

Finding Hope

by

Where are you finding hope these days? Perhaps a first question should be, “Where are you looking for hope?” More and more people are rejecting the authority or even the existence of God, and then wondering why depression and suicide are on the rise. There can never be genuine hope outside of God. Once we deny Him, there is no hope remaining.

finding hope,faith,focus,love,discipline,spiritual disciplines,hope,commitment,Deuteronomy 31:6,never leave or forsake,Hebrews 13:8,Jesus same yesterday,John 14:15,obey my commands,

As apologist William Lane Craig has said, “This is the reality in a universe without God: there is no hope; there is no purpose.” So, if you are trying to find hope while leaving God out of the equation, you are fighting a losing battle. You will find your only hope—in fact, the only hope of the world—in Jesus.

[Read more…] about Finding Hope

Moral Decline

by

I was hesitant to write this article. Some will undoubtedly misconstrue what I have to say and label me as a conspiracy theorist or prophet of doom. I assure you I am neither. I am speaking primarily in the context of America, the country in which I live, and specifically to the Church in America. As I survey the moral decline of the past few decades, I am stunned to observe how far we have fallen.

moral decline,persecution,America,church,discipleship,mission,commitment

The vitriol, immorality, and evil that pervade society is alarming. While it seems like this has occurred in a short time, looking back over the years reveals a steady deterioration that has culminated into the state in which we find ourselves today.

[Read more…] about Moral Decline