Grace for Struggling Marriages
I understand what it is like to struggle in marriage. Mine did for the first 6 years primarily because religion prevented me from experiencing God’s love. During that sixth year, God revealed to me His...
View ArticleIs Your Life “Rooted” in God’s Love?
You may be surprised to learn that I have a degree in horticulture. Though I do not use that degree, I do know some things about plants and trees. Take Azaleas for example. There is nothing more...
View ArticleFree To Love
I do not remember my dad telling me he loved me until I was 19 years old. Even then, it was a response to me telling him first. Looking back, I believe he loved me and would have laid down his life for...
View ArticleFree to Enjoy Intimacy with God (and your spouse)
Having been married now for 32 years, I am enjoying some of the best intimacy ever with my wife. In the movie, “Avatar”, the people from that planet had a phrase which wonderfully describes what...
View ArticleDo You Believe in a Religious Jesus or the Real Jesus?
How do we distinguish between religious Jesus and the real Jesus? By what the complete Gospel tells us about the real Jesus. Let’s compare the two: Religious Jesus Desires intimacy with me only when I...
View ArticleParenting by Grace – Is Your Identity in Your Kids?
Years ago, the families in my church small group decided to meet for lunch at the church building. We were all having a good time until my two oldest boys started horsing around. I had to get stern...
View ArticleParenting by Grace: Fathers Need Christ in Them
After 31 years of counseling people, I can tell you that dads have the most influence on their children, for better or for worse. That is not a surprise since the only two verses of Scripture in the...
View ArticleParenting by Grace: 3 Stages of Parenting
One of the things Ellen and I spoke about at times when our kids were growing up was this. “Let’s enjoy our kids and not be in a hurry for them to grow up or get older.” In other words, we wanted to...
View ArticleChristian Parents Must Address Gender Identity
Christian Parents Must Address Gender Identity Beyond He or She: How a New Generation is Redefining the Meaning of Gender. Time Magazine recently featured this tagline as their cover story in their...
View ArticleThe Answer for Anger
The Answer for Anger When my children were young, I once got so angry with them that I threw a bowl of popcorn across the kitchen all over the floor. They stared at me with stunned faces, and I felt...
View ArticleHow Christ Esteem Can Replace Your Low Self-Esteem
How Christ Esteem Can Replace Your Low Self-Esteem How to Replace Low Self-Esteem With High Self-Esteem Researchers tell us that over 80% of people around the world suffer from low self-esteem,...
View ArticleMy Struggle with Negative Thoughts
I have a confession to make. I struggle with negative thoughts. Yes, I know I have been a follower of Christ for 46 years, in full-time ministry for 30 years, and I am the president of a vibrant...
View ArticleChristian Myth #1 – Get More Committed to Jesus
Often we are under the impression that we would live a less sinful life if we were more committed to Jesus. Being more committed to Jesus means we will try harder to live for God instead of for sin....
View ArticlePassionate Dating: Are You Ready?
Are you ready to date? Is your teen or single ready to date? Here are some practical thoughts on dating from the perspective of grace for you to consider before you answer. Dating is really not...
View ArticleChristian Myth #2 – You Must Get Closer to God
Is it possible for a Christian to get closer to God? No. Yet, if you listen to some people, you would never know that. Look at the titles of these articles I recently read. “12 Steps to Get Closer to...
View ArticleChristian Myth #3 – Christians Must Keep the 10 Commandments
Are Christians supposed to obey the 10 Commandments? Is our daily life supposed to be filled with pressure to follow certain rules? For example, imagine waking up every day with a husband whose first...
View ArticleChristian Myth #4 – God Punishes Us
The majority of Christians wrongly believe that God punishes them when they mess up. So, when bad things happen to them, they default to thinking, “I must have committed some sin because God is...
View ArticleChristian Myth #5 – I’m Just a Sinner Saved by Grace
The common phrase, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace”, sounds humble but it is far from the message of the gospel. I understand what people are attempting to communicate. All of us in Christ realize...
View ArticleChristian Myth #6 – If I Obey God, He Will Love Me More
It is very typical for us as Christians to think that God will love us more if we obey Him but that is simply not true. Yet, every week our counselors at Grace Life hear Christian after Christian share...
View ArticleChristian Myth #7 – If I Really Trusted God, I Wouldn’t Have Problems
If God loves us, shouldn’t trusting Him diminish our problems? Some Christians believe that trusting God means we shouldn’t have any trials and our lives should always be great. This kind of thinking...
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