Dad, would you intentionally break the arm of your child? Of course not. Such an action violates every fiber of your moral being. Yet if you engage in sexual activity outside your marriage, you’ll bring more pain into the life of your child than a broken bone. Mom, would you force your children to sleep outside on a cold night? By no means. Yet if you involve yourself in an affair, you’ll bring more darkness and chill into the lives of your children than a hundred winters. Actions have consequences. Make it your ‘rule of thumb’ to do what pleases God. Your classmates show you … Listen Now

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One may give into temptation with this thought, No one will know. I won’t get caught. I’m only human. . . Don’t make matters worse by doing something you’ll regret. Years ago, a friend gave me this counsel: “Make a list of all the lives you would impact through your sexual immorality.” I did. Every so often I re-read it. Denalyn. My three daughters. My son-in-law. My yet-to-be-born grandchildren. Every person who’s ever read one of my books or heard my sermons. My publishing team. Our church staff. The list reminds me: one act of carnality is a poor exchange for a lifetime of lost legacy. You don’t fix … Listen Now

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Depression can buckle the knees of the best of us, and a pastor’s wife is no exception. Years ago my wife Denalyn battled depression. Every day was gray. Her life was loud and busy—two kids in elementary school, a third in kindergarten, and a husband who didn’t know how to get off the airplane and stay home. The days took their toll. But Denalyn was never one to play games. On a given Sunday when the depression was suffocating, she armed herself with honesty and went to church. If people ask me how I’m doing, I’m going to tell them. She answered each, “How are … Listen Now

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Whatever it is that’s troubling you, you’ll get through this!  Cancel your escape to the Himalayas. Forget the deserted island. This is no time to be a hermit. Pray. Lean on God’s people. Be a barnacle on the boat of God’s church. Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” So, don’t quit and don’t hide! Would the sick avoid the hospital? The hungry avoid the food pantry? Would the discouraged abandon God’s Hope Distribution Center? Only at great risk. God is waiting on you, my friend. He is with you. Your family may have left. … Listen Now

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God surrounds us like the Pacific surrounds an ocean floor pebble. He is everywhere; above, below, on all sides. We choose our response—rock or sponge? Resist or receive? Everything within you says harden your heart. Run from God, resist God, blame God. But be careful. Hard hearts never heal. Spongy ones do. Open every pore of your soul to God’s presence. Do so by laying claim to the nearness of God. He says in Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Grip this promise like the parachute it is. Repeat it over and over until it trumps the voices of fear. The Lord God is with … Listen Now

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You will never go where God is not! Envision the next few hours—where will you be? In a school? God indwells the classroom. On the highway? His presence lingers among the traffic. In the hospital operating room, the executive board-room, the in-laws’ living room? God will be there. Acts 17:27 says, “He is not far from each of us.” Each of us. God doesn’t play favorites. From the masses on city streets to isolated villagers in valleys and jungles, all people can enjoy God’s presence. But many don’t! They plod through life as if there is no God to love them. As if the only strength is their … Listen Now

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The Bible says vengeance is God’s. He will repay. What a great reminder. Forgiveness doesn’t diminish justice, it just entrusts it to God. We tend to give too much or too little. But the God of justice has the precise prescription. God can discipline your abusive boss or soften your angry parent. He can bring your ex to his knees or her senses. Forgiveness doesn’t diminish justice, it just entrusts it to God. Unlike us, God never gives up on a person. Never. Long after we’ve moved on, God is still there, probing the conscience, stirring conviction, always orchestrating redemption. Fix your enemies? That’s God’s … Listen Now

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We pass much of life at mid-altitude. Most of life is Monday-ish obligations of carpools, expense reports and recipes. Occasionally we summit a peak: our wedding, a promotion, the birth of a child. But when the housing market crashes, or a test report comes back negative? Before we know it, we discover what the bottom looks like! In Psalm 139:7 David asked, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?” You’ll never go where God is not. Acts 17:27 reminds us, “He is not far from each of us.” The Psalmist determined, “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” … Listen Now

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Ginger was six years old when she and her Sunday school class made get well cards for church members. Hers was a bright purple card that said “I love you, but most of all God loves you!” She and her mom made the delivery. My dad was bedfast, the end was near. He could extend his hand, but it was bent to a claw from disease. Ginger asked him a question as only a six year old can, “Are you going to die?” “Yes,” he responded, “but when, I don’t know.” She asked if he was afraid to go away. “Away is heaven,” he told her. “I’ll be with my … Listen Now

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All of a sudden you’re cleaning out your desk. The voices of doubt and fear raise their volume. How will I pay the bills? Who’s going to hire me?  Do you think you’ve lost it all?  Determine not to make this mistake. You haven’t lost it all. Romans 11:29 promises God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded. What do you have that you cannot lose? Here is what you tell yourself: “I’m still God’s child. My life’s more than this life. These days are a vapor, a passing breeze. This will eventually pass. God will make something good out of this. I will work … Listen Now

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