Several years ago, I met a traveling evangelist whose popularity was on the rise. People packed auditoriums to hear this best-selling author preach her signature sermons. But popularity doesn’t always guarantee Christian character. This celebrity preacher had a serious pride problem. Once, when a church invited this person to speak in a conference, the pastor …
About 25 years ago, I found myself at a church altar in Orlando, Florida. God had been dealing with me about leaving my comfort zone. I had a great job with nice benefits, yet I felt spiritually unfulfilled. I knew there was an amazing adventure in front of me, but I had placed serious limitations …
Don’t Look for Loopholes When You Surrender to God Read More »
‘ve lost three close friends during the past two years. Robert and James died in 2021, and Doug died just a few weeks ago, on August 21. You’d think by now that I’d be an expert in how to grieve a loss, especially since I also lost my parents recently. But working through grief is …
Last week was tough. One of my best friends, Doug, died unexpectedly, and the tragedy shook me to the core. Doug’s death also shook my friend Jeff, a pastor who looked up to Doug as a mentor. Before and after the funeral, Jeff and I cried together. We shared our memories of Doug and processed …
Dealing With Doubt or Discouragement? Lock Your Exits! Read More »
I was filled with the Holy Spirit three weeks before I went to college, and I immediately became a serious student of the Bible. I remember waking up early and reading Scripture at my tiny desk in my dorm before my roommate woke up. My hunger for God’s Word became insatiable, and my studies laid …
How Jesus Is Revealed in Every Book of the Bible Read More »
My new friend Serhii Pantonenko doesn’t speak much English, but when he shared his story with me last weekend I could understand his pain. Like so many other Ukrainian refugees who have come to the United States in recent months, Serhii is weighed down by despair. “When the war started we realized that our religious …
Use Psalm 46 As a Weapon as You Pray for Ukraine Read More »
You’ve probably seen the videos of thieves filling trash bags with stolen merchandise from CVS or walking out of Home Depot or Wal-Mart with armloads of tools, laptops, detergent and athletic shoes they didn’t pay for. We used to call this shoplifting, and it was a crime. Today, it’s known as “inventory shrinkage”—and it costs …
What Would Jesus Say About Today’s Retail Theft Epidemic? Read More »
I’m currently on my 29th mission trip to Africa. In fact, I’m sending this column from Malawi, a country that has become very dear to my heart. Since I surrendered to a call to missions while I was editor of Charisma, I’ve visited 39 nations and developed relationships with dozens of pastors and leaders who …
Leave Your Entitlement at Home When Heading to the Mission Field Read More »
Last week I arrived in Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania, to train some missionaries and to speak in a few meetings before heading to the mainland. I knew that Zanzibar was predominantly Muslim, and that in the past Christians there have suffered from persecution. I didn’t know that this beautiful island, now a vacation …
A Global Movement of Radical Young Adults Is Emerging Read More »
If the new hit movie “Sound of Freedom” had been released a few years ago, the mainstream media would have praised it—and Hollywood probably would have given it a few Oscars. But times have changed. Something has shifted in our culture. In today’s up-is-down, right-is-wrong world, a movie that exposes the evils of child sex …
Why Do Some People Hate the Movie ‘Sound of Freedom’? Read More »
A few years ago the Lord challenged me about my level of spiritual hunger. He showed me that even though I had repeatedly sung the words, “Lord, I want more of You,” I wasn’t as passionate for Him as I thought I was. My church sponsored a conference about the Holy Spirit. At the close …
I love my country. But many of my foreign friends now ask me regularly, “What’s going on with the United States?” They are baffled. They are also losing respect for America because a growing number of our leaders have made drastic shifts when it comes to moral values—particularly in the area of sexuality and gender. …
America Has Gone Insane When It Comes to Gender Laws Read More »
The Bible is full of stories of men and women who waited and waited for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for Isaac’s birth. Hannah endured years of barrenness waiting for her baby. David spent years in the wilderness before he became king. God calls each of us to join …
God Will Fulfill His Promises, But You Must Learn to Wait Read More »
At a conference in Colorado several years ago, a well-known female Bible teacher stood at the pulpit and gave a challenging sermon about prayer. I had read some of this woman’s books so I was looking forward to hearing her message. Most of the people in the audience responded with amens and nods of approval …
Stop Weaponizing Scripture to Silence Women Who Are Called by God Read More »
Rick Warren is one of the most influential pastors in this country. His book “The Purpose Driven Life” is known as the best-selling nonfiction book of all time, with 50 million copies published. The congregation he has led for 42 years, Saddleback Church, has more than 30,000 members in 14 locations in southern California. But …
Rick Warren, Southern Baptists and the Firestorm Over Women Pastors Read More »
