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What Moves Your Heart? [ 1 min read ★ ] . . . give, and it will be given to you—Luke 6:38 When we begin following Jesus Christ, he shapes for us new hearts—just as God promised for Israel: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you...

Are These False Expectations Diminishing Your Happiness? Most people intuitively know that our expectations profoundly affect our life experiences. Yet even as believers, we simultaneously expect too much and too little. We need to discover what we should expect less of and what merits higher...

Get Finally Unstuck [ 1 min read ★ ] A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity—Proverbs 17:17 “I’ve got this.” It’s a phrase used often by men, in one form or another. We say it to ourselves; we say it to others. And, most times, we have got whatever...

How Small Gestures Can Improve Your Marriage Eileen, 53, and Jason, 58, have been married fifteen years and came to counseling to improve their communication and to stop bickering. Like many couples who I counsel, I asked them both what was working in their marriage and what areas need to be...

Trust No One [ 1 min read ★ ] The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts—Psalm 28:7 The Apostle Paul set a challenge before us: “having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25). No small thing, that one. We...

The Night of the Long Knives In late June and early July, 1934, over three to four days, German dictator Adolf Hitler had as many as one hundred of his enemies, and some others, murdered. The slaughter began with former Hitler sidekick and supporter Ernst Roehm, leader of the SA (popular known...

5 Steps to Not Taking Things Too Personally in Relationships While it is natural to feel hurt when a loved one has done something wrong or said something offensive, taking their actions personally can prolong the process of healing and cause people undue misery. My first experience with...

Minimum Safe Distance [ 1 min read ★ ] Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace—Hebrews 4:16 Have you gotten to where you stay at a “minimum safe distance” from God, for fear of what he might ask—what assignment he might put on your heart...

Emerging from Isolation [ 1 min read ★ ] For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them—Matthew 18:20 Imagine, for a moment, a man ever isolated, living alone in the mountains, perhaps. Imagine him living a vigorous, adventurous, spiritual life, but...

Top 7 Bible Verses About Wrong Doing Here are seven Bible verses about doing the wrong thing. James 4:17 “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Clearly, James, the half-brother of Jesus, said that if we know someone who is in need and we turn a blind...

When You're Just . . . Done [ 1 min read ★ ] Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding—Proverbs 3:5 Is there any belief you’ve simply gotten tired of believing? Is there any belief you’ve held onto, stubbornly, for too...

Sacrifice Echoes Into Eternity The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit. Psalm 34: 18 Ours is not a culture that is comfortable with sadness. Sadness is awkward. It is unsettling. It ebbs and flows and takes its own shape. It beckons to be shared. It comes out...

Joel Ansett: Healing and Hope, One Song at a Time Listening to a musical artist live is one of my favorite experiences. I recently saw Joel Ansett (check out his tour), and he was tremendous. Not just a musician, but a true storyteller, and he wove a journey with the purposeful intent for his...

The Difference Between Being Smart and Being Wise (And Why It Matters) Intelligence is frequently lauded above all else in our culture of quick facts, instant answers, and digital credentials. However, as Richard E. Simmons III notes in his writings and Christian mentorship, wisdom is a more...

What Worked? What Didn't? [ 1 min read ★ ] . . . he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come—2 Corinthians 5:17 God’s at work in us—every one of us—whether we can see it or not (Philippians 2:13). He’s working to transform our...

Failure is on the Menu [ 1 min read ★ ] I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities—2 Corinthians 12:10 We men are often just wrong about failure. It seems we’ve all decided that if we ever experience failure, we're then...

5 Books That Shaped My Rule of Life and Quiet Life Pursuit Later this week, I am headed to the beach to celebrate my wife, Katie McLain, and her birthday. One of the things I am most excited about, besides being with our family as we celebrate, is the chance to read. Our beach trip earlier in...

How to Handle Your Child When They Have a Tantrum During a recent counseling session, Monica, 40, complained about her two-year daughter Abigail, crying too much and being unsure about how to handle her. This is a common concern of parents with young children whom I meet with for counseling...

Blessed to Bless [ 1 min read ★ ] Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap—Luke 6:38 Have you been blessed? [Pause for a moment to consider.] What’s your reaction to that question? Is it easy to see how and how much...

Want Some Courage? [ 1 min read ★ ] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus—Philippians 3:14 In some respects, we know the men we’d like to become. For one, we’d like to be courageous for God, not simply surviving these lives, but...