When we want to make progress in our lives, we often pray for “open doors.” That comes from the verse in Revelations 3 that says that what God opens, no man can shut. Doesn’t that sound appealing? An opportunity that no one can interfere with? A blessing that no one can take from you? That’s what God is promising here. But...
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most esteemed Americans in our nation’s history, due to the successful life he lived. But what many don’t know is that great adversity paved his path. And when I say great, I am not exaggerating. Here’s why. In 1809, Lincoln was born. At age 7, he and his family were forced out of their home,...
In Acts 2:17, it says that God wants to pour out His Spirit on all people, and when He does, we will begin to see things beyond the way they are in the natural. When we look at society’s alarming statistics and negative patterns, we will be able to hold onto hope because we see what God sees. The fact is...
You’ve probably had someone say to you, “There’s no time like the present.” I used to hear it often as a kid, when I was slow doing homework or chores. But as I got older I started to view this phrase in a more mature sense. I saw that every great journey begins with a first step, and that includes our...
"Jimmy do you see this door?” My dad’s lectures often involved abstract concepts, and I could tell that this conversation would be no different. “Yes, dad. I see the door,” I responded with a bit of attitude. “Good. Watch how easy it opens and closes.” He demonstrated it by swinging the door open and closed several times. “Life’s like this door, son,” he said as...
We’re all created with gifts, and we’re all created with gaps. I’m a firm believer that God gave us those gaps for a reason. We lack certain strengths so that we can experience well the love of others. We all have our own temptations we’re predisposed to, and our best life comes when we work to fill those gaps, not with skill...
The word “authority” often carries a negative connotation. It reminds us of teachers giving us work we didn’t want to do or coaches yelling at us to take the line. But as we get older, we realize that authority is actually a beneficial thing. In fact, it’s necessary if we want to reach our full potential. Especially when we’re referring to...
We all know that we’re living in an extremely dark time. That’s why, now more than ever, we have to shine—to do our part to open the doors to the hearts of those around us. Last week, we talked about the first way to do this, and it’s through speaking the truth in love. We established that truth tells people what...
Once you experience the goodness of God, it’s kind of hard not to tell people about it. If you’re a believer, that’s why you may have the constant urge to witness. The problem comes with the fact that where there’s witness, there’s also warfare. The enemy doesn’t want you to spread the Gospel, so he’ll do anything he can to stop...
There’s just something about an early morning routine (or lack of routine!) that gives you a good idea of how your family operates. I’ll ever forget when all four of our kids were in school at the same time. I’d wake up to Tamara’s voice on the other side of the house, “Is your uniform ready? How about your jersey?...