Good relationships don't happen by accident. They take cultivation, work, and a lot of time. That requires commitment! How many committed friends do you have? More important: Who are you committed to? Who knows that you are committed to them? Why does God want us to have friends? Why can't we just focus on our relationship with him in isolation? Friends can't meet all yo...

Did you know that God's plans for your life do not include worry or stress? Phil. 4:6tells us, "Don't worry about anything;" Is there any wiggle room in that verse? No. Is there any exception? Nope. Just, don't worry about anything. That's about as big a blanket statement as you can make.But what about? No, don't worry about anything! When we worry, we indicate that we d...

I hear people ask, all the time, "what is my calling?" This is a great question to ask! One of my passions as a pastor is helping people discover and live out their God-given purpose. But, I think a lot of times we confuse our "calling" with our "career path" or our "assignment." We want to know "what degree should I get, so I can fulfill my calling?" or "has God called m...

What's holding you back from stepping out in faith and doing what you believe God is calling you to do? I have seen fear keep people from making a career shift that they clearly knew God was calling them to, because they were afraid to walk away from security. I've seen the fear of being alone keep people from making relationship choices that are honoring to God. I've see...

If you are a follower of Christ, you must love everybody in the same way that Christ loves you. That means you are to accept them completely, love them unconditionally, forgive them totally, and consider them extremely valuablewhether you like them or not. It's not an option or a suggestion. It's a command:"Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I...

Jesus teaches us that communication that makes an impact is honest. The best example comes from Jesus. Scripture records conversations that people had with Jesus, and you can see how he talked to people. Jesus was honest. Most of us value honesty; we want honesty to be part of our lives and relationships. Yet when it comes right down to it, we often find it easier to be ...

What's the greatest thing you can do with your life? Serve God. But, how can we actually serve God? We can't see him. How do we serve an invisible God? Jesus teaches that we serve God by serving others. He said, even if we give a cup of water to somebody who's thirsty, and we do it in the name of Jesus, that's as if we did it to him, God. We serve God by serving others. ...

1 John 3:18 "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." The most desired gift of love and the most priceless gift of love is focused attention. It's time. When you give someone your time, they will feel loved. When we give our time to someone, that is the greatest gift we can give. A kid, a husband, a wife, a fri...

So manypeoplefeelhopelesstoday. As a pastor I talk to them all the time. "Mylifeisoutofcontrol! Ican'tseem tochange. Nothing seems towork. Life haskickedthehopeout of me. I feeltrapped. I'mtrappedin a hopelessmarriage. I'mtrappedin a hopelesscareer. I'mtrappedin a hopelesscrisis. I'mtrappedin a hopelessaddiction. I'mtrappedin a hopelesshealthissue." Everybody needs hope....

"Everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another"(John 13:35 NIV). Jesus told His disciples that the primary way the world would know they were His was by their love for one another. Not by how many weeks we attend a church service. Not by how many verses we have memorized. But, by our love. If you think about it, the way Christ followers are called...