“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” Proverbs 4:23 Notice, the Bible doesn’t say to follow your heart but to watch over it. That’s because the heart is critical to everything we do. It contains our emotions, affections, motives, and attitudes.[...]
“true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.” John 4:23 What does God want? It’s a timeless question. Jesus told the woman at the well that the Father seeks a specific type of person…a true worshipper. We[...]
Preaching through the Sermon on the Mount has profoundly affected my thinking about ministry. During this series—The Jesus Agenda—God started working in me with the question, “How do we measure healthy ministry?” In other words, how can you tell a healthy church from an unhealthy one? Even though Jesus doesn’t[...]
“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” James 1:22 The Bible tells us over and over that we shouldn’t just hear what God says, but do it. Most believers know more about the Bible than we actually put into practice. Why is[...]
Christians need to know what the Bible says about managing money. It’s just as important as what God says about salvation, faith, and eternity. That’s because there’s a fundamental connection between our spiritual growth and how we handle our finances. In fact, fifteen percent of what Jesus said in Scripture[...]
A lot of Christians are riled up about the lyrics on the new Taylor Swift album. I’ve read the lyrics, and they’re certainly disturbing. This album isn’t Christian friendly. In fact, it’s anti-Christian. So yes, let’s talk about the Taylor Swift issue, but let’s not stop there. I always[...]
“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” 1 John 2:3 What principles guide your life? Many people live by some kind of self-determined standard. The internet is full of “rules for a happy, successful, and fulfilling life.” As believers, our[...]
“A natural man does not accept the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 People outside of Christ are limited to natural thinking. They understand the world and themselves by what[...]
The New Testament describes what life should look like for followers of Jesus Christ. But I hear more and more believers talking about that life as if it’s a lofty goal rather than how they actually strive to live. I think that’s dangerous. So how do you know if you’re[...]