Sometimes when life gets tough, we automatically associate our difficult circumstances with God, and so we think the solution is to get rid of both all together. Rather, we should be mindful that God cares for us when we hurt…

God doesn’t need us, but He chooses to use us. Sometimes we lose sight of that in the midst of ministry and think He needs us.

Last week we took our students on a backpacking trip to Colorado. It was fun—although a bit unnerving—for me to be under the leadership of our guides. It didn’t take me long to realize that following our guides was a great parable for following God.

It’s easy to talk about problems and solutions, until we have to think about our individual attitudes and contributions. Jesus talks about the supreme importance of reaching the lost in Luke 5 and Luke 15. How does that play out in our lives?

Recently I spent a little time on two tasks to tidy up my office, both in the physical and the electronic sense. I got rid of a lot of clutter. This happens in my walk with Jesus, too.

We have so many ways to connect, and always encourage people to connect with one another and get involved in small groups. Yet, so often, pastors and people highly involved in ministry can get so lonely…

Sometimes we do things we don’t want to do because they’re right. Beyond action though is attitude, and attitudes are just as easily seen by others.

Every volunteer and teenager has a sort of unconscious groove that, when put together with everyone else, can tell you a few things.

Sometimes we want to do good things, but we move so fast or do things we don’t need to and wind up hurting others in the process…like our kids.

Sometimes we need to wait for things to happen, to see results, or just to see what God is doing. Patience is tough, and if we’re not careful, we may wind up getting ourselves in to more trouble by how we handle it…