Tag Archives: Spiritual Formation

A few months ago someone said something about me that was untrue. I won’t elaborate. I’ll just say that it really stung; it kind of grated on me for a while. The thing that bothered me most was I didn’t understand why it was bothering me so much! As offenses go, it was rather minor. Even so, for some reason …

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40) Who is foolish enough to plan a sailing trip knowing a storm is headed straight for him? Well, Jesus did (Mark 4:35-41). Of course, it makes a big difference when you know you will safely arrive at your intended destination in spite …

Blindsided, flattened as if by a freight train, and covered in toxic slime. Ever felt like that? Chances are, each one of you has been mistreated so badly at some point in your life that you were left dumbfounded. Interactions with abusive (or just plain mean) people can leave you feeling as though you’re covered in a funky, debilitating slime. …

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19:9) In addition to asking about our past, God often questions the present. It is one thing to agree with God about past failures; it is quite another to discuss my present course of action. Confessing to a mistake is admission of something I …

What if our greatest mistakes in life lead to our most abundant blessings? Major screw-up = amazing outcome. Wouldn’t that be awesome? We have all experienced God’s redemptive power upon accepting Him as Lord of our lives. But it doesn’t stop there. God can and will redeem and bring greatness from our mistakes when we submit them to Him and let …

When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” (II Kings 5:25) No matter where you go, God is there. Jonah could not outswim God. Paul ran into God on the dusty Damascus road. Even King David pondered the inescapability from God: Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I …

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? (Job 38:4). Until and unless you accept God as more than a curious entity swirling around somewhere in outerspace, you will have warped views about Him, yourself, and this thing called life. This question confronts us with who God is and affirms His sovereign control. The story of Job confirms he …

But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) Initially, that may sound like a weird question. Um, God; I’m right here. You know all things so You already know that answer. Next question, please. Yes, He does know all things. But the amazing thing about God’s questions is that He asks them not for His …

One night my friend was at my house pretty late and was about to head home. She went to the door to grab her purse, keys, and shoes … and her keys were no where to be found! She looked in her purse a billion times, peeked in her car and around it, retraced her steps throughout my home. We …

When was the last time you got really sunburned? My wife and I recently spent a week on vacation at a Central American resort. It was on a beautiful, relaxing, all-inclusive, beach-front golfing community so you can imagine the peaceful approach we took to the usual hectic, labor-intensive parts of life — preparing meals, working, thinking…. It was a pampered week …