Worthy Words

It is very possible as you read this you are struggling with situations that are about to get the best of you. The bills are piling up or the doctor hasn't given a good report or your spouse is threatening divorce or your kids are in rebellion or the pressure and demands at your job are eating your lunch. Nowadays it seems virtually everyone is in the middle of one kind of mess or another. I know how messes feel. I know the sense of fear, of impending panic, of dread, anger and hurt. And I also know this: You can experience God's presence and his peace in the middle of a mess. The issue is that too often people think that God is anything but for them. They think he's mad, annoyed, disappointed, irritated, out to get them — or, at the very least, totally oblivious to what's going on in their lives. He may not be for all your ideas, he may not be for everything you're doing — but he is for you. You need to know this. God is for you! He loves you! He cares about you! H...

There's something to be said for faithfulness. Being faithful is unique in that it is a title that one earns over the course of time. Faithful is not just a one-time momentary event. It is a day-in, day-out process of consistency. Faithfulness is a long obedience in the same direction. As a Christ-follower you’re called to be faithful because God is faithful. In Christ you see the perfect example of faithfulness. You may be ready to say, "Ooops, too late. If faithfulness is consistency in character, I'm the most inconsistent person I know. If faithfulness is keeping one's promises, I've racked up far too many broken promises. If faithfulness is dependability, I'm not proud of my record there, either." None of us are as faithful in every area as we ought to be, or as we want to be. That's why it's important for us to remember that earning the title of "faithful servant" is an extended journey. Over the course of time we learn to grow in fa...

I love the song composed by Chris Tomlin, “This is our God.” I love the fact that, as the Place of Second Chances, we are in the process of “painting” a clear and accurate picture of who God is. The song affirms that God is a Refuge for the poor, a Shelter from the storm, a Father to the orphan, a Healer of the broken, a Fountain for the thirsty, and a Lover of the lonely. Simple songs like this do more than inspire our worship; they combat all sorts of inaccurate depictions of God. A lot of people don’t know or have never been introduced to the God of the second chance that the Bible talks about. In other words, there are so many misconceptions about who God is. On the other hand, it has always been my belief that once a person gets an accurate and full image of God through Jesus Christ, they will surrender their lives to Him. You see, God is a God who inspires us to worship and serve. One of the pictures of God that means the most to me and many others is that the God we worsh...

I have been around long enough to know good times and bad times are cyclical. If you've been around for anytime at all, you've weathered a life storm once or twice. Storms of difficulty and trouble come in different shapes and sizes. Maybe your family life is in the midst of upheaval. Maybe your marriage is on the brink of divorce. Maybe your kids are living on the edge of rebellion. Maybe someone close to you is facing serious health issues — maybe you aren't sure of what the future may hold. One mistake that is made in times of trouble is to let the crisis play with your head. You will get depressed and fearful and start thinking, "This is it. This is the beginning of the end. It will always be this way. It will never get better. From now on, I'm on my own. There's no one to help me. I can't trust anyone ever again," and on and on and on. Another mistake made in times of trouble is to react rather respond. When faced with times of trouble, make sur...