Live. Love. Lead.

     Mission. Purpose. Know your calling. To me, those words and phrases mean something. The fact is, every single one of us want to know why we are here. For, what purpose are we where we are? Then, let's go a step further. I submit that for us to know why we are here (our calling/purpose/mission); we must also be in tune with who we are (our identity). It is the "who" and the "for what" that so often eludes individuals, families, organizations; you name it. So often when we and others are confronted with this question of purpose we say or think things like, "to make the world a better place" or "to leave this earth better than I found it." Those are helpful sayings, but lack the specificity and the uniqueness each of us long to actualize.      As I was thinking about this age-old enigma, I also "happened" to be studying through the book of Judges. One of my all-time favs is the work God did on Gideon. Gideon is such the picture...

     This week I have been studying the book of Exodus. This study has refreshed my heart and reinvigorated my passion for seeing God work in ways that have His signature all on them. In Exodus 14, the Children of Israel had just been released from the grip of slavery and were just tasting their new freedom accomplished by God's "outstretched arm". Only a little into their new life free from the chains of Pharoah's whims, they face a trial begging them to enter the slavery of fear again. They see that all of Pharoah's army was coming after them and the Scripture says, "...they were very frightened..." In this crisis of faith, they believed that the "ease" of past slavery was better than the beauty of the promise. And they say it, "...it is better for us to serve Egypt that that we should die in the Wilderness..." The Wilderness was part of their journey to realizing the promise that God made generations before. But, it that moment the...

     "Stop thinking like a loser."  This statement reminds me of the verse that states "You are not the tail; you are the head..." (Deut. 28:13).  So often in the stillness of life's moments the enemy lets loose an array of mental arrows purposed to pierce even the strongest moments of faith. You know what it's like when you are in the regular grind and suddenly accusing thoughts of inadequacy, doubt, fear, and many others try to take over your mental space.  It is truly in these moments where "Finally, brothers whatever is TRUE...think about such things" (Phil. 4:8) must take effect.  In Phillipians 4:8, the first thing Paul encourages us to think about is TRUTH! Yeshua said that the "truth sets us free..." (John 8:32).  The only way to escape the ever-locking chains of negative thoughts that seek to undermine God's workmanship (us) is to think about what is TRUE! Our self-talk must constantly be true words from His word! Imagine con...

     This week I was re-reading through the book of Joshua. The message that stood out to me during this challenging and hectic new chapter I am currently living is-- "Joshua conquered...because the Lord God of Israel was waging war..." (Josh. 10:42). God was the one fighting the battles for Joshua and the nation.  At the same time, make no mistake, Joshua and the people had to use their weapons of warfare, strategy, and intentional walking by faith in the will of God in order to achieve what God intended.  There was no "rely and relax" kind of faith.      This week when I confronted situations that initially instigated fear, the Spirit continued to bring this message of God waging war on my behalf, just like He did for the nation of Israel, to mind. This renewed mindset in turn disabled the paralysis of fear and awakened the "fight" in my soul.  This message girded me with such a resolve to aggressively confront and defeat the things that s...

     Every year about this time I read the book of Deuteronomy about the children of Israel finally going into the land that God promised. This is the time of year that many are beginning new things as a new school year quickly approaches. And new beginnings often carry with it a unique sense of fear or anxiousness.        When reading Deuteronomy, I cannot help but to think about the constant command that God gives in this passage of "not being afraid." The children of Israel were in a delicate place in Deuteronomy. They had experienced God's provision in the wilderness and seen the results of refusing to live life believing that God works for our benefit. But, where God was calling them to was a huge challenge. There were giants in the land, there were a lot of people who would need to be conquered, and so much more. There was the potential for a huge crisis of faith here. So it appears that Moses works really hard to make sure the people remember w...