How to I Find My Life Purpose?

Did you know that regardless of the age of the person, most Americans today (and probably individuals worldwide) wonder about what they are supposed to do with their life? They wonder to themselves, “What’s my calling? What career should I pursue?  What path should I take?” Basically, it’s the age old question…What is the meaning of my life and where do I go from here?

I’ve got Good News for you today! It’s not as complicated as you think. While you’re pondering all those deep, meaningful, questions, ask yourself one more…What does your heart tell you?

Many Christians have been taught that they can’t trust their heart. After all, the Bible does say in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” Well, if we believe this verse is for us, it’s no wonder we walk around confused about our life purpose. Fortunately, Jeremiah was speaking to the person who has not yet received Jesus and is not walking in the grace, blessing, favor, and righteousness that we, as believers are. How do I know that this Word is not for believers? I’m glad you asked. Read more

Can I Lose My Salvation?

Do you know this is one of the most asked questions in Christianity today? It’s also one of the most debated topics, which, of course is expected. Salvation is a big deal. Jesus Christ paid the price for our salvation with His own blood, so of course the enemy of our soul would want to minimize, distort, undermine and cause us to doubt this most precious gift.

If you’ve ever asked this question, or if you’re asking it today, I’m going to give you some of the best news you’ve heard in a long time, in fact, it’s called The Good News (or in other translations, the Gospel). Here we go.

Can I Lose My Salvation?

Let’s look at what the Bible tells us.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — Ephesians 2:8

So, if we’ve been saved by accepting a free gift, and not “from ourselves” this means that entering into salvation is based entirely on faith and trust. Faith and trust in what? Faith and trust in the fact that Jesus is who He says He is (the Son of God) and has done what He said He did (pay the price for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross). That’s it? Yes, that’s it.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. — Romans 10:9-10

That’s the beginning of a beautiful, life long journey with your Creator! It’s the point of salvation. Read more

Living in the Grace of God

“I really need to get right with God.” Have you ever heard anyone say these words? Maybe you’ve even said them yourself. Maybe you’ve wandered away from a conscious awareness of your relationship with Him, made some poor decisions, or maybe you’ve simply allowed yourself to become preoccupied with life’s busyness and distractions. Before you know it, God seems far.

Even if we do feel like our relationship with God is pretty good, sometimes when a hardship or trial comes into our life we wonder where we “missed it” or where we sinned. Isn’t it funny how we are always programmed to look at our performance and what we have done (or failed to do) that brought a certain circumstance into our lives?

Today I’m going to give you some Good News that will absolutely transform your life and the way you think about your relationship with your Heavenly Father. Are you ready?

It’s Not About You!

If you are thinking that you need to get right with God before you’ll see His hand of blessing on your life, or if you are wondering where you may have “missed it” because of the situations you are currently facing, I want to tell you to stop right where you are! Read more

And the Truth Shall Make You Free

I’ve become pretty impressed with the genuine hunger for God I’m seeing in today’s teenagers. Uncompromising, humble, and filled with wisdom. The other day I was involved in a conversation where one individual was struggling with the correct path to take, while the other party (a teenager) saw the simple solution as if there was really no other option.

They said something to the effect of, “For any problem you have, God has a simple solution. He’s not trying to confuse us. It’s not that hard….The solution here is to go tell the person the truth.”

Isn’t it amazing how a Word from God through another person can bring such complete clarity to a situation that we almost feel silly that we had toyed with the idea of something different. That’s how simple the good news of the Gospel is. Sometimes we just need to be reminded. Read more

You’ll Never Have to Wonder Again

Have you ever faced an anxiety, a problem, or a particular stress in your life and just felt…well, lost? If so, I’ve got good news for you today. You never have to feel that way again. That’s a pretty bold statement, I know, but it’s completely true.

Many believers face times of stress wondering how to pray, what to do, or how to un-do whatever the particular situation is. Maybe you are going through something like this right now.

Identify the Problem

The problem here is not that you don’t know what to pray, and ironically, the real problem is NOT the actual situation. The problem is being unsure of the will of God. Let’s look at it in simplest terms. Read more

Newsflash! God’s Plan for You is Prosperity…

Is this a prosperity message? Absolutely…

Too many individuals today (Christians included) get all squirmy when it comes to talking about prosperity. I’ve got news for you. It’s not that big of a deal.

Does God want us, as His children, to prosper? Yes, He does. If you read the Word to any extent, it’s pretty plainly written.

In Jeremiah 29:11, God tells us this, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

In 2 Corinthians 9:8, He declares, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

God’s desire is never to have His people limping around or living in lack. If you think this somehow brings pleasure or glory to your Creator, think again. Now, as with anything that we are given, there certainly is a level of responsibility. But it’s really not too difficult to understand that part either. God wants us to prosper not only financially, but in all areas of our life. He wants us to have healthy relationships, stable emotions, wisdom, and to live in health. That is His ultimate desire for us. Do we all live in that kind of abundance? No, we don’t. But, just because we aren’t experiencing it, doesn’t make it untrue. Read more

Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?

I have one quick, possibly life changing question for you this morning. Are you your own worst enemy? Before you answer, let me qualify this question with a quick story from the Word, along with a few more heart-seeking questions.

The Story of Martha and Mary

Most of us are well acquainted with the Biblical story of Martha, Mary, and Jesus. If you are not, here’s the quick overview:

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” — Luke 10:38-42

The story seems simple enough, doesn’t it? Martha was a doer, and basically a good person. Nothing wrong with that, right? Read more

How to Simplify Your Christianity

“Mankind, left free, instinctively complicates life.” — Katherine Gerould (1879 – 1944)

If you’ve been keeping up to date with the latest trends, I’m sure you’ve noticed the move toward simplifying our lives. Countless websites and magazine articles teach on the art of decluttering our homes, downsizing, and living sustainable, manageable lives that are not filled with “things to take care of,” and “things to maintain.”

The act of decluttering our physical lives is an important one that can remove a huge amount of unnecessary stress and remind us of the things that are truly important. As a country, we were moving so quickly for so long at acquiring more stuff, more toys, and more gadgets that we hardly had time to live our lives. Now, in an attempt to regroup and create balance, we see a renewal of the desire to simplify.

As believers, we can also take this wave of interest one step further by simplifying our Christianity. Read more

Are You Feeding Weeds Today?

The wonderful thing about operating according to spiritual principles is the absolute simplicity of them. Sure, we can take the simple principles of God’s kingdom and twist them all up until they seem completely impossible, but that’s not what God desires for us.

One thing that God has been speaking to me about lately, involves taking a good look at what I am watering and nurturing in my life.

God compares His Word to seed. Any farmer or gardener knows that if you plant a seed in the ground and do absolutely nothing to nurture it, reaping a healthy harvest is highly unlikely.

If you take the time to read Matthew chapter 13, you’ll learn what God has to say about planting, watering, and nurturing the seed (or the Word of God) in your life. The chapter also explains the different types of soil that a seed can be sown into and what the results will be. In this chapter, the soil represents our heart.

Planting a seed into a stony or hard, unbending heart isn’t going to produce a positive harvest, neither is planting a seed into ground that is ridden with weeds. Weeds will choke the life potential out of even the finest seeds.

What does that mean to us as believers? Read more

Patient Endurance Will Finish the Race: Do You Lack Endurance?

What kind of goals have you set for yourself lately? Whether you’ve got  long term goals, like becoming debt free by 2015, or short term goals; losing 5 pounds in the next 30 days, they both have one thing in common….they require endurance.

Endurance, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, is the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; especially : the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity. It is the ability to undergo a task without giving in.

Whether your goals are long term or relatively short, you will still need a certain amount of endurance to reach each one.

If you are anything like the average person, endurance may not be your strongest character trait. This is evident just by taking note of the majority of advertising and television commercials today. As a generation, we want it fast and we want it now. We are constantly bombarded by “quick weight loss” programs, and even pills that promise to allow us to consume any food we want, without the consequence of gaining weight.

We want “fast career training,” instead of 4 or 7 year degrees. We are even willing to pay extra at amusement parks in order to be the proud holder of a “fast pass” which will allow us to cut in front of the rest of the line. Almost anything we can think of involves some sort of quick alternative. Fortunately for us, God doesn’t change. He’s not moved or concerned by our ever increasing impatience. He still desires to develop and build a strong, enduring character in us. Possessing the ability to “endure” will get us through the important things in life. Here’s what God has to say about patient endurance. Read more

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