How Wealthy Are You Really?
Some cities are known for their "new money"—places like Houston, where much of the wealth has been created in recent generations. Others are known for "old money"—places like Boston, where wealth has often been passed down through families for generations.
People tend to approach money differently as well. Some are excellent at saving and investing what they already have. Others are especially gifted at creating new wealth.
The Kingdom of God invites us to think about wealth in a completely different way. Our greatest riches aren't found in bank accounts, but in people and relationships.
Even so, the idea of "new money" and "old money" still applies.
Some people are relationally poor because they have very few meaningful relationships. Others do a wonderful job of preserving and deepening long-standing friendships but rarely invest in new ones. Still others love meeting new people and quickly form new connections, yet struggle to maintain the friendships they've had for years.
A f...
What Is Really Going On Around Here?
Sometimes I realize I'm only skimming the surface of life.
I do what I can, what I should, what I ought to, and what I want to do each day. I try to take care of what's in front of me each week. Then the next week begins, and the cycle starts all over again.
The weeks become months, the months become years, and one day I find myself sitting at my computer wondering, Where did the time go?
But is life really about making it through another day, week, or month?
Of course not.
God is always at work—in us, around us, and through us. He is constantly inviting us to notice what He's doing, to understand His purposes, and to join Him in them. He doesn't simply want life to happen to us; He wants us to experience the life He is creating through us.
As we seek first His Kingdom, God gradually opens our eyes to what's really happening beneath the surface. We begin to recognize His fingerprints in our circumstances, our relationships, and even our struggles.
Jesus told His disciples that H...
The Dependence That Leads to Strength
We all enter the world completely dependent on someone else. As newborns, we depend on our mothers (or whoever is caring for us) for everything.
As we grow up, our goal becomes independence. We learn to stand on our own two feet, make our own decisions, and take responsibility for our lives.
Then, as adults, we discover that we accomplish far more through interdependence. Healthy relationships, teamwork, and shared strengths enable us to do things we could never do alone.
But here's something we don't hear very often:
To become spiritually whole and healthy, we actually need all three.
We need to take responsibility for our own lives. We need meaningful relationships with others. And, most importantly, we need to remain deeply dependent on God.
That raises an important question: Why is dependence on God so necessary? Couldn't we simply learn what He wants us to do and then go do it?
Jesus answered that question very clearly:
"Apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
With...
Are You Still Growing?
One of the marks of a healthy child is growth. We expect children to change, develop, and mature as the years go by.
But have you ever stopped to think that God designed us to keep growing for our entire lives?
Our growth may look different in each season, but it should never come to a standstill. Some kinds of growth happen almost effortlessly, while others require intentionality, discipline, and a willingness to cooperate with God's work in our lives. (Growing around the middle, for example, usually doesn't require much effort—but that's probably not the kind of growth we're after!)
So let me ask you a few questions.
Are you still growing?
Can you point to ways you've changed over the past year? Are you becoming more like Christ? Or do you feel as though you've plateaued?
And are you growing in a balanced way? Sometimes we pour all of our energy into one area of life while neglecting the others. If your spouse, your children, or your closest friends were asked whether your life...
The Gift of Spiritual Disciplines
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase spiritual disciplines?
For many people, the words can trigger thoughts of religious duty, striving, or obligation. Some may not be able to name many spiritual disciplines, yet they immediately feel guilt, boredom, dryness, or weariness when the topic comes up. Perhaps it's the word discipline itself that creates resistance.
But what if we've misunderstood these practices?
Spiritual disciplines are not meant to be burdensome obligations. They are gifts—practical ways of drawing near to God and experiencing His grace. Think of them as pathways that help direct our attention toward Him. They don't create God's presence, but they help us become more aware of it.
Many believers have found practices such as Bible reading, study, and meditation helpful for focusing their hearts on God. Others connect deeply through prayer—whether through silence, stillness, solitude, listening, or honest conversation with Him. Reflection and self-examination can...
The Quiet Power of Humility
As people grow older, they often begin to "soften" in more ways than one. Perhaps most importantly, many develop softer hearts. The passing decades have a way of humbling us. We become more aware of our limitations, less certain of ourselves, and more appreciative of others.
Our culture often views this softening with suspicion. Is it genuine humility, or is it simply a loss of drive, conviction, or backbone? And even when humility is recognized, it is rarely celebrated. The public square tends to reward confidence, self-promotion, and independence far more than meekness and humility.
God's economy, however, is very different.
Both James, the brother of Jesus, and Peter, one of His closest followers, wrote:
"God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)
That's a sobering statement. God opposes pride because pride ultimately opposes Him.
Scripture tells us that the proud do not seek God and make no room for Him in their thoughts (Psalm 10:4). If fa...
The Same Spirit Who Empowered Jesus
If you want to experience God's presence, understand His ways, and live in His power, you need the personal ministry of the Holy Spirit.
For some people, that statement sounds boring or overly theological. For others, it may feel uncomfortable because it sounds too "charismatic." And for still others, it is deeply intriguing and inviting.
Regardless of how it sounds to us, one thing is true: only the Holy Spirit can reveal, communicate, and empower the Kingdom of God in and through us.
The Gospel of Luke makes it clear that Jesus carried out His ministry through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was and is fully God, but He was also fully human. He experienced life as we do. He faced temptation, fatigue, sorrow, and joy. Yet He lived with a continual awareness of God's presence and power because He was anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
As Peter later declared:
"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and He went around doing good and healing all w...
Becoming Whole In A Fragmented World
At some point, each of us must decide the orientation and direction of our lives. If we don't make that choice intentionally, it will be made for us. Circumstances, pressures, expectations, and strong personalities will all pull us in one direction or another.
So what will be at the center of your life? Will your primary focus be yourself, other people, or God?
If you desire to live a God-centered life—or more specifically, a Christ-centered life—you must intentionally deepen your relationship with Him. Jesus regularly withdrew from the demands and distractions around Him to spend time with His Father. If we want to follow His example, we must learn to do the same.
That means moving beyond simply knowing about God and beyond our assumptions and perceptions of Him. It means learning to behold Him, listen to Him, and truly know Him. This requires time alone with God—quiet, still, and attentive before Him.
"Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)
Henri Nouwen writes:
"Sol...
Strengthen what remains.
Have you ever had one of those moments where you wondered, “Why am I not getting this?”
Is Your Love Drifting… or Deepening?
Jesus said that in the last days, the love of most people would grow cold. That’s a sobering thought. So it’s worth asking: What about my love? Is it cooling off… or is it alive with the presence and purposes of God?
Real love isn’t vague or passive. It’s focused and intentional. It’s directed toward people—not just ideas. And it shows up in action. Love isn’t just something we feel; it’s something we express. When it’s real, people experience it. Others can see it. Real love is visible.
At its source, love comes from God Himself. As Scripture says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Love isn’t just something He does—it’s who He is. Creation itself flows out of His love, and as we receive and express that love, we begin to reflect His image in the world.
So what does that kind of love actually look like in everyday life?
Let’s look at three simple—but deeply countercultural—expressions of real love. These aren’t just nice ideas; they’re powerful, even prophetic, in a world where love ofte...
