Category Archives: Discipleship

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What to do in times of hardship and stress

The Power of choosing to trust God

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What do you do when life gets tough, when the daily challenges seem overwhelming, and when you feel things are out of your control?

I know the feelings that rise up in such circumstances, I’ve been there!  I’ve had to face major challenges in my own life, where the outcomes looked horrible. In these times, when my thoughts and the lies began to become overwhelming, I was forced to make important choices.  How should I respond? Where can I turn? Will I become fearful, have a “pity party,” or will I choose to trust the Lord?

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Learning how to trust God in the school of life

How you know your trust is increasing

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My wife’s unexpected diagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer several months ago has challenged my faith like never before.  Over a three week period we went from normal life to hospital tests and diagnosis, major surgery, and chemotherapy.  What an opportunity for the devil to attack our trust in God! It has been a difficult trial, a huge test, and an incredible time for learning to trust God in new and deeper ways.

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Have you ever had trouble praying during difficult times?

How to pray without ceasing

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When my wife Norma was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer, prayer became more important than ever.  However, I found that it was frequently hard to pray.  My heart said “pray,” but I was often too tired, busy or distracted.  The bible says to pray without ceasing (1Thessalonians 5:17); but, I felt my prayers were too infrequent and inadequate.  I desperately needed God’s wisdom and help.

Here is what the Lord said that really helped me to pray more effectively for her. (His words to me are in blue.)

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Faith for the “Long Haul”

How you can grow faith that lasts

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I have found that being a serious follower of Jesus is sometimes far from easy.  It is a continual challenge to trust God and live according to His ways every day, in every situation, and in every relationship.  This requires faith!  Honestly, my mustard seed of faith often needs watering!  My desire is to live as if He is with me at all times, that all His works are good, and I am able to do everything He thinks I can do.  This challenge to believe and act like I believe is one of my major life goals.

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The Secret to Loving Like Jesus – Part 4

How Childlike Faith Helps us Receive God’s Love

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In my last few posts I have been sharing how God has been answering the question of how to love like Jesus.  The answer is that we must personally receive and experience God’s love first.  All true love is birthed out of His love for us.

This past Easter weekend I watched the movie of C. S. Lewis’ classic book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  What a perfect movie for Resurrection Day, as it showed the power of Jesus’s sacrificial death and resurrection!

One thing that really moved me was Lucy, the youngest of the Pevensy children.  Her childlike faith made it possible for her to be the first to believe in the magical land of Narnia, to trust in talking animals and healing oil, and to really know and trust Aslan.  The negative comments, rational thought and logic of her brothers and sister couldn’t sway her–she believed!

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The Secret to Loving Like Jesus – Part 3

How our Choices Help us Receive God's Love

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In speaking to me about how to love, Jesus said, “Let Me show you how much I love you, so that you can overflow with My extravagant love.”  (see my blog The Greatest Question: How do I love Like Jesus Loves?) Part of my life journey has been as a student in His school of love.  I have been learning what may impede God’s love for me, and more importantly, how to receive His love.  Today, I want to share how God has helped me make choices to readily receive His love.

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The Secret to Loving Like Jesus – Part 2

How to Experience God's Love Every Day

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The key to loving others is first personally receiving God’s love.  We can understand that God’s love is eternal, and that He loves us. We can even cite scriptures about God’s love–but how do we really know that He loves us?  Today I want to share some of what God taught me about how experiencing His love helps us to truly know His love for us.

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The Secret to Loving Like Jesus – Part 1

The Key to Loving is Receiving God's Love

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If you are like me, learning to love like Jesus is your goal and greatest challenge.  Yet so often I feel that I fall terribly short.  While I know that with God all things are possible, this type of love often seems beyond my human capabilities.

Here is what the Lord said to me on this all-important subject:

“Let’s talk about love, My child. To freely give My love you must first freely receive My love. This is a basic Kingdom principle: freely receive, freely give. The more you receive, the more you have to give. But it is often hard for many to really receive My love, so their love account is often low, and sometimes even depleted. It is hard to love when you feel unloved or when you feel unlovely. So the key to loving is receiving My love. Why is this hard for so many?”

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The Greatest Question: How do I Love Like Jesus Loves?

Jesus shows that all true love is birthed out of His love

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When Jesus was asked “…what is the greatest commandment?” His response summed up how a disciple is to live: love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:35-40)   What a challenge! 

While I strive to have a loving heart, too often I feel that I fall far short of this goal.  But Jesus knows my heart and…