What is God's purpose for your life son?

I was driving home the other day with my almost 16 year old son, Matt. He’s a sophomore now and probably starting to give a lot of thought to what to do with his life. So I decided to probe. “Matt. So you think you have any idea what God’s purpose is for your life?” “Sure,” He responded. As if I had just asked the dumbest question in the world. “Okay,” I said. “Enlighten me oh enlightened-one.” “I want to be a Bible translator and preach the Word of God.” Wow! “That’ll do pig, that’ll do!”

too much Jesus causes insanity ?

The apostle Paul was a man determined to know as much about Jesus Christ as he possibly could. He studied and prayed and engulfed himself in the knowledge of his Savior. One day Paul stood before a governor and king to defend his belief in Jesus. As he was boldly presenting his conviction the governor suddenly interupted him and shouted: “You are out of your mind … your great learning is driving you insane.” Acts 26: 24 Things have not changed much since Paul’s days. In today’s world you can be a sports fanatic, a movie fanatic, a political fanatic, …

The power of a changed life

“I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35 NIV)   It would appear that Christ’s first convert, other than the disciples he called, was the Samaritan woman he met at the well of Jacob. Up until this time, Jesus had performed some miracles and healed a few people, but this is the story of a woman who was not sick or demon-possessed; she was just an ordinary sinner like any one of us. This is our story as much as it is anyone’s.   The essence of this encounter is …

The 3 Jars

I promote the idea of attaining financial literacy and wealth, now please understand that I believe God gives us everything and can take it away. We also cannot take it with us but does that mean we are not good stewards of what God has blessed us with in the interim? “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” Luke 16:11 I build wealth for the sole purpose of having control over money in my life and using it for good causes and to eventually retire young and have the …

It’s not about being a good Christian

Here’s one of the greatest things about being a Christian: You can accept yourself for who you are.   Here’s one of the most tragic things about being a Christian: You can be one for a long time without knowing this.   I was. I was what you might call a model Christian. I filled the bill. Any church or Christian school would have seen me as a poster child Christian. There was only one problem: I thought I was, too – when all the while I knew I wasn’t. I knew it was all pretty much a game.   …

what's your title ?

I have met some men with impressive titles. At the risk of being a “name dropper” … here are a few: Dr. Joe Stowell … former President of Moody Bible Institute John Elway – Super Bowl MVP Dr. Bill Thrasher – Professor at Moody Bible Institute Kurt Warner – Super Bowl MVP Harry Swayne – Super Bowl player and the Bears Chaplain Dr. Jim Nicodem – Pastor at Christ Community Church Pat Williams – Co-founder of the Orlando Magic Mike Hohensee – Coach of AFL champions Chicago RUSH People are often identified by their titles. But I envy the title …

Friend or vacuum salesman?

We’ve all heard the story before, or perhaps it even happened to you. You receive a visit from a friend you haven’t seen in a long time. You are overjoyed at the reunion and honored that your friend would see the relationship worth cultivating and would actually seek you out. Or it might be a person you are just starting to get to know, and there are encouraging signs of a potential friendship.   In the course of a pleasant conversation, with the talk shifting randomly from one subject to another, you suddenly find you are discussing the virtues of …

Someone else’s problems

Evangelicals often put being saved and going to heaven in the same sentence, as if heaven were the only goal of our salvation. But the truth is, we are saved to serve. Heaven is important, but heaven can wait. God saves us because he has a job for us to do in his Kingdom here on earth. If heaven is the whole point of our salvation, then what do we do while we wait? Change the channel on our Christian entertainment?   It’s amazing how many of our own problems dissipate when we begin caring about other people’s problems instead …

Under new ownership

“You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)   What does it mean to not belong to myself? I can think of a few things.   It means that I should probably do a lot of consulting with my new owner. There is more to consider than just me and what I want to do; there is God and what he wants me to do. If you’re anything like me, this makes sense until you begin to wonder over what he wants you to do in certain circumstances. It isn’t always …

Safe Kids or Strong Kids?

I recently finished reading Dr. and Pastor Tim Kimmel’s Book Grace Based Parenting. To me this is the Christian parenting book for those looking for the next step. In the book, Pastor Kimmel explains that sometimes we raise children in a very rigid and strict environment and this often leads to resentment and children “acting” like Christians while in the home but in reality their faith and relationship with God is simply to appease their parents and once the kids leave the home and start making decisions on their own, the faith and relationship with God ends. The book also …