Writing to Help You Find and Share the Hope of Jesus
"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life."John 5:39-40 John 5 is an important warning on the danger of religious blindness. The chapter starts alongside the pool of … Continue reading Don’t Miss This: The Danger of Religious Blindness
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”Psalm 119:18 Read the others posts in this series - Post #1 Series Intro; Post #2 Pray for Delight; Post #3 Plan for Delight; Post #4 Read With Others Who Delight. Post #5 "Know God's Delight." We Need Supernatural Help Wanting to read the Bible, let … Continue reading Grow Your Delight In God’s Word (Part 2) – Pray For Delight
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.Matthew 9:37 There are many more people wanting to be discipled than there are Christians willing to disciple them. That’s the difficult truth I’ve learned working with ATLAS of West Central Minnesota, a mentor-based disciple-making ministry in Willmar, MN. There are more people wanting to grow in … Continue reading The Supply and Demand of Making Disciples
“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”Psalm 127:1 Mentoring is the focus of my work these days. ATLAS, the ministry I work with, disciples hurting people through their struggles by connecting them with volunteer mentors. For many mentors, myself included, there are times when helping someone follow Jesus seems … Continue reading The Rooting Power Of Prayer In Making Disciples
In my last post, I focused on the negative. I shared ten reasons why I think we (Christians) don’t pray, or don’t pray more than we do. While it’s good to recognize what keeps us from praying, I also wanted to explore positive reasons that draw us to God in prayer. Here are ten things … Continue reading It Starts with God’s Love – Encouragement to Pray
About six years ago, My wife Marie and I attended a retreat called Cursillo. God used that retreat powerfully in our marriage to stir me to begin praying with Marie out loud every morning, which we have done ever since. We’ve been married for just over 19 years now, so you can see that through … Continue reading Why Don’t We Pray?
“Let us therefore strive to enter [God’s] rest”Hebrews 4:11 “We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” (Hebrews 2:1) “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3) In other words, don’t miss this. That’s the urgent cry of the book of … Continue reading Strive to Enter God’s Rest – 5 Helps to Continue Believing the Gospel
For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.Hebrews 2:18 “Put on your coat.” It surprises me how often I have to say this as a dad … in winter … in Minnesota. Most of the time when I say it it’s because one of my … Continue reading Put On Your Coat – 4 Ways Christ Helps Us With Temptation
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!1 Chronicles 16:11 I was chatting with someone we mentor this week as she was waiting for her mentor to arrive. She shared that she had had a particularly hard and stressful day, but that she had been praying to God throughout the day for help. … Continue reading Pride Indicator
My heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.Romans 10:1 Last Sunday I had the chance to speak at a church here in Willmar about ATLAS. After the service, a couple came up to me and introduced themselves. This couple was actually from out of state but happened to … Continue reading Hope for Those We Love Most
