As this weekend marks the second Sunday of Advent, let us celebrate, as we prepare ourselves to re-live the moment of indescribable beauty when the God of the universe became a beautiful baby.
THE GREATEST EVENT IN HISTORY
LIVING LOUD
The idea of making a joyful noise to the Lord is often associated with singing, but our "noises" don't always have to be audible. When we live a life pleasing to God, we truly begin living loud.
FINISHING WELL
We cannot decide to finish well just when finish line is within sight. Instead, we must plan ahead and be men and women of integrity in all seasons of our Christian walk. Are you on the path to finishing well?
THE PRICE OF LIFE
When we understand the true price of a person, everything we say, do, and think is dramatically affected. Are you viewing others through the eyes of God?
DON'T BE FOOLED
Jesus said to be on our guard toward deception. But not all scams are evident. How can we easily identify deceit so we are not fooled?
AL VOMSTEEG: PRAYER, SCRIPTURE, AND OBEDIENCE
Al VomSteeg is the Senior International Director for ILI. In this podcast, Al describes “the hanger illustration"—a great way to introduce the foundational disciplines of prayer, scripture, and obedience.
FAITHFUL TO THE END
Taking a stand for Christ isn't easy. We can flee for our lives, deny our faith, lie, or even kept our mouths shut... Or we can be faithful to the end. Will you take a stand for Jesus?
HOUSE HUNTERS
Finding the right home is a big task. Wouldn't it be nice if someone did it for us? Even if someone was willing, we would never trust anyone to buy a place for us to live. Is there anyone you trust to do your house hunting?
SALT IN A WOUND
You may have heard the saying about rubbing salt in a wound. This would be equivalent to “sticking the knife in and twisting it.” To rub salt in a wound is to make it worse, more painful, more negative… at least, as far as proverbial sayings go. In reality, maybe salt isn't so bad. Perhaps it even contains some healing properties.
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE
The God of the present tense, “I AM," calls us to present tense obedience. It's never too late to begin obeying. So, what are you waiting for? The time is NOW!
WELCOME LITTLE CHILDREN
Jesus told us to welcome the little children. In this day and age, there are so many ways to bless children around the world. How are you welcoming the little ones in your life?
ROADS AND THE ROAD
We live in the age of roads. Wherever we go in the world, we travel by car, van, or bus, and roads are the way to get from point “A” to point “B.” There may be many roads, but only two truly matter. Which road are you taking?
THE WORST AND BEST OF TIMES
"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." (Romans 8:28). This is a great verse, but it is one we would prefer was needed to encourage others rather than ourselves. What would happen if we totally bought in to Romans 8:28?
WHEN TRAINING LEADERS IS NOT THE PRIORITY
There is a time to hold a conference and a time to respond to a crisis. When we truly have a Passion for the Harvest, we find that training leaders is not limited to a classroom.
BARNS AND NOBLE
We tend to think the more we have, the more important we are. I guess being wealthy makes us feel like nobility. But not in God’s eyes. Each day, we are faced with the choice to store up, or radically give; to make "barn decisions" or noble decisions. The question is: Which will you choose?
SOUNDS IN THE SILENCE
Not long ago, I had an ear infection and a hearing test was part of standard procedures. The doctor tested my hearing by placing me in a completely quiet room, putting headphones on my ears, and telling me to raise my hand whenever I heard a beep. Perfect hearing would mean every single beep was heard, even the most quiet. It occurred to me that we must train ourselves in a similar way to hear the voice of God.
THE BIG MOVE
A few weeks ago, I moved… again. As an itinerant pastor, I have moved numerous times, and though I no longer pastor a church, I am pretty sure I will move again. There was nothing special about this one. We reserved a big moving truck, went through all our things, threw a lot away, gave to charity, and packed all we could into boxes. Eventually, we loaded everything onto the truck, drove to our destination, unloaded, and begun to unpack in our new home.
Three Decisions to Change Your Every Day
Have you ever experienced a day when everything seemed to go wrong? Perhaps your tire went flat in the middle of the road and then it started raining. Perhaps your paycheck didn't stretch to the end of the month, and to make matters worse, unforeseen expenses added extreme pressure. Maybe you were hit with the dreadful “C-word” diagnosis — cancer. Every day we are hit with bad news, big or small, but some days it seems to pile up. How can we overcome days such as these?
SACRIFICE
The famous preacher, Charles Spurgeon, was getting ready to preach to thousands at his church in London when he made the most unusual request. He asked his entire congregation to leave and go home to make room for non-believers who were waiting outside and could not fit indoors. Astonishingly, everyone left and the auditorium filled again with non-believers, who now had the chance to hear the Gospel for the first time.
ENDLESS GRACE
"Antonio Velazquez was a grumpy, selfish, and evil old man. He worked for the police obtaining confessions from suspected criminals by questionable means." When I heard Mr. Velazquez's daughter describe my friend in such a way at his funeral, I was completely surprised.