relationships

Designing Your Life

“The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!” – Psalm 118:23-25 In grade school, I discovered the power of zero, but thankfully, we don’t have to experience it as Christians. Let me explain. Zero is a powerful number. Take any number you can think of; multiply it times zero, and the answer is zero. A valuable lesson I learned in school was the day I turned in four assignments and one of them was graded a zero. For the first three assignments, I received A’s. The fourth one was a zero because somehow I forgot to turn it in. And what does that make the total grade for my class? The answer is a D. You get A, A, A, and one zero turns

November 20, 2022 No Comments

Love in Action

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” – Colossians 3:12,13 When we talk about loving others, it’s important to remember that love is an action, not a feeling or an emotion. We show others who Jesus is by carrying what’s in our hearts into motion. Now, love in action may look like caring for the poor and feeding those in need, but most significantly, it is demonstrated by building deep and bonded relationships with people who are otherwise disconnected and lonely. In this increasingly isolated world, the greatest thing you can do for your neighbor is to show them that they’re worthy of love and belonging; to prove to them that when they are with you,

October 24, 2022 No Comments

Our Greatest Need

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” – 1 Peter 1:22 The greatest human need is to bond with others. When we connect deeply with our spouse, children, friends, and even colleagues at work, life takes on greater joy and excitement. The world is a big place, and it’s God’s job to love everyone, but for us as believers, it’s our calling to simply love our neighbor. We have the opportunity to bring God’s agape or unselfish love to the corner of the world in which He has planted us. Never in history has there been a greater need for compassion, empathy, vulnerability, and gentleness in our culture. I believe we live in a world that is suffocating, not because we don’t have material resources and help available, but because we

October 16, 2022 No Comments

Connected to Others

“Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.” – Proverbs 27:10 Today we will begin a short series examining three cultural keys, and when you add these to your life, you will never be the same! The first key: As people, we should be linked; linked in and connected to others. We must understand the significance that other people bring to our lives. Have you ever questioned how some individuals get to be in positions of power? How does this happen when they seem intellectually challenged from our viewpoint? The answer lies in the fact that they understand the importance of reciprocity and the power of being linked. The Bible emphasizes this wisdom of connecting in the Book of Proverbs. We are encouraged not to let go

October 13, 2022 1 Comment

Be Faithful in Your Calling

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ ” – Matthew 25:21 Today, as we continue to uncover what your calling is, it’s not uncommon to have two or more callings at the same time! It is understood that God will give us multiple missions. Does your boss ever give you two assignments at the same time? Most likely, yes. In life, it’s important that we understand which of the two or three things is most important to God. Right now, I have at least two callings. I’m called to be the pastor of this ministry and I’m also called to be a husband and a dad. Which one is more important? Family is the number one priority, but at times we get this confused. It’s

September 5, 2022 1 Comment

Who Are Your Friends?

“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.” – Psalm 1:3 As we continue the study of Psalm 1 it begins “Blessed (Happy) is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or take seat in the company of mockers…” Picture this Psalm boldly asking the question, “Who are your friends?” It doesn’t say blessed is the one who’s not a sinner, it says blessed is the one who doesn’t hang out with sinners. Did you catch that? Blessed is the one who doesn’t walk with or chill out with sinners. As a Pastor, I can’t tell you how many times I have heard from a grieving mother or father who lost a child to some untimely tragedy, whether it

June 8, 2022 No Comments

Fully Known and Completely Accepted

“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” – 1 Corinthians 13:12 Have you ever been at a party, surrounded by a group of people (many of them who you know), and yet you still feel lonely? Quite a few of us are saturated in the area of relationships, yet we still feel alone. When we’re in this position, it’s easy to wonder what’s wrong with us and to label ourselves as being out of touch or depressed, but this may not be the case. The reality is that our greatest need as human beings is not just to have a lot of relationships, but rather to be truly known. I’ve said this many times, but apart from the obvious things like food, water,

May 3, 2022 No Comments

You are a Leader!

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” – Hebrews 13:7 Did you know that you are a leader? Regardless of whether or not leadership is implied in your title, if you are a Christian, you are called to lead. No matter where you are today and how insignificant you think your title is, because you are empowered by the Holy Spirit, you have influence! As we continue talking about our workplaces and how we handle professional relationships, my challenge to you is this: Don’t worry so much about the perfections or imperfections of your employer, but instead focus on transforming your organization’s culture one relationship at a time. Rather than trying to find a perfect boss or a workplace that’s known for being joyful and productive, work to cultivate the atmosphere you seek in

April 27, 2022 1 Comment

God Incarnate

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27 Faith is not existential, it’s relational. Many people say that it’s just them and Jesus and that’s enough, but such an approach to Christian living doesn’t really work. This is because we adhere to the doctrine of incarnation, which means that the Word of God became flesh, lived among us, died, was raised, and ascended into Heaven. But that isn’t all there is to the story, because incarnation continued in the Church. This was made clear in Acts chapter 2 when the Holy Spirit entered the body of every single believer. And what it means for us today is that because of His indwelling, when we look at a fellow disciple, we’re not only seeing that person, we’re gazing at Christ within them. Likewise, we’re not just listening to

August 17, 2021 No Comments

God’s Greatest Blessings Are Beside You

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 When Hannah and I began to lead the college ministry at the Crystal Cathedral years ago, we did it as a team. However, as the months went by, she got busy pursuing a graphic design business, and our career paths drifted in different directions. In those days, I would attend conferences with various pastors and ministry leaders, and I would hear story after story from men whose wives — who were never there — were dealing with infertility, anxiety, or depression. I remember at the time thinking that this was strange, especially considering these men’s call to guide their families to God’s abundant life. Fortunately for me, a

June 28, 2021 No Comments

Designing Your Life

Love in Action

Our Greatest Need

Connected to Others

Be Faithful in Your Calling

Who Are Your Friends?

Fully Known and Completely Accepted

You are a Leader!

God Incarnate

God’s Greatest Blessings Are Beside You

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