You Don’t Know This About Jesus #2 “Beloved Son” Means More Than You Think While compiling The One, a chronological blending of the four Gospels, I had to decide which of the words from the Father at the baptism of Jesus..
You Didn’t Know This About Jesus # 1 “The Sea and Sky Opened” Since March 2012 I’ve read the gospels monthly. Plus, I’ve compiled two blended gospels, The Jesus Story and The One. Editing those two..
Lead Through Failure A lot of people think the best leaders seldom fail. That’s why they desperately work to hide each failure and expose success. And yet, nothing..
Do This To Show Someone Their Worth As Jesus entered the Upper Room for a final meal with His disciples, He remained silent. No need to speak. His actions would soon say more than..
God’s anger is always justified and perfectly expressed. Why? Because He’s able to determine when a wrong has been committed. James said, “The..
Lesson From A Man With 2,000 Demons Two thousand demons had turned the man into a horror-movie monster. To protect themselves locals had shackled his hands and feet and secured him..
Ask These Questions When Talking About God For years I shared the gospel with people in the same way—of course I adapted the illustrations to fit their background. But that “same way”..
The Fallacy of Tithing I’ve had the privilege of speaking in churches throughout the United States and internationally. I’ve discovered that many pastors tell their..
How to See Jesus Several years ago, Cindy and I vacationed on the tiny island of Bonaire. Situated fifty miles from Venezuela it’s known as the scuba shore diving..
Seize The Opportunity in 2024 Webster tells us that an opportunity is a “favorable juncture of circumstances.” One occurs when the elements needed for progress come together at..
Our Comfort: God Visited A Violent World Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him..
Read This on Thanksgiving This Thanksgiving, join me in thanking God for something we easily take for granted. In Psalm 139:14-15 David wrote: “For you created my inmost..
Before Making An Alliance–Do This! Seldom has a leader made a more ill advised alliance than Lot. Initially, the union appeared as harmless as choosing a Coke instead of a Pepsi. I..
The Joy of Spiritual Flight You were designed for commitment just as a plane is designed for the sky. Nobody who tiptoes through life, as though sneaking through a minefield,..
What Do You Call Someone Who Betrayed You? A few weeks ago I wore a Ricky Russ t-shirt to church–the one posted with this blog. As I engaged people in conversation I’d point to the t-shirt..
People Who See Miracles Have This Since March 2012 I’ve read through the Gospels every month. And one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is this: With Jesus, your expectation will..
Never Dump the Whole Load of Hay? One cold winter morning the young pastor of a small midwestern church faced his greatest fear. After hours of sermon preparation only one farmer..
A Deep Look At God’s Holiness God is the reality I believe people seek in the extraterrestrial. He exists apart from and above His creation. Perhaps that’s why the word..
The Key to Success in Everything Immediate gratification is a driving force in our lives. We expect pain to suddenly vanish. We want quick and easy success. Our expectations are..
My Resume of Failure I’ve got an impressive resume of failure. Really. It’s embarrassing to admit, but it’s true. At one time or another I’ve failed in every area of..
Winning a Spiritual Tug of War “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As..
Overcoming Three Barriers to Belief Here’s the situation: You want to talk to someone about the Lord, but you’re not sure how you should approach them. For years I pretty much..
Ride Out Your Pain We’ve all experienced our share of physical, psychological, emotional and mental pain. And when we feel squeezed, like a tennis ball in a vise,..
A Lesson Learned From Billows of Black Smoke You wouldn’t think something as insignificant as a gear-shift indicator could spell disaster for a car. But it could. I used to own an Oldsmobile..
Jesus is The God of the Gap We all face situations where a gap exists between the faith we have and the faith needed to release God’s power into a situation. Like the father..