Consider the private stuff about your life. Why is it that you might fear something private being public? For many of us, the reason we privacy issues are such a big deal is we feel that exposure of ourselves will be used to harm us rather than benefit us … even in the church.

Whenever someone needs something from you, whether it be time or money or energy, what is your first reaction? Is it something like “I would love to, but I just don't have it to give right now”. That's typical, but it should not be for the Christian ….

Of what character is your relationship with God? Do you see God as the one who will preserve you, keep your health good, protect your family, keep you safe on travels, and make sure you keep your job. Or, instead, do you declare, “In God I Trust” as I follow him into dangerous territory?

Most Americans are following some version of the American Dream, which is career, house, wealth, and pleasure oriented. There's something else, you know. Your energy could be helping another person with their dream ...

Most Christians know that we cannot love both God and the world … and that moderation should be a hallmark of a Christian. Why then, do we have so much stuff?

Most Christians know that sin makes God angry, sad, and disappointed … and that He doesn't want sin in our lives. But, how do we go about becoming righteous in a way that doesn't create chaos?

It is possible that most all of us have some sort of religious checklist that we follow. And, so long as we are successful with that checklist, then we feel righteous before God. The checklist is typically easy, doesn't demand much from us, and isn't much of a struggle. So we feel righteous, but are we righteous?

We all know that God has vision for the world, and for our individual participation in His Kingdom. But, sometimes we misunderstand the character of God's vision … more often, we just don't respond to God's vision. God's vision always requires champions, and every Christian is called to be a champion.

It is easy to say that "I love", particularly when that love has very little cost associated with it. The Bible talks much about love, and it talks about the particular character of love that happens when one is filled with the Holy Spirit. It is a love that costs in many ways, but that cost is most always going to involve "long-suffering".

Do you need to know everything? You probably think that you do not, but how often do you feel the urge to find out all that you can on the latest news story, the disease that you've contracted, or even some aspect of God. Far too often, we feel that our relationship with God is advanced when we know more about him. Could it be, however, that a true relationship with God is developed when we don't know?