Too often church pastors want to control the thoughts and behaviors of their church members. This undermines God’s desire to develop a relationship with people individually. The Bible tells us that we are meant to make our own choices.

If you are looking to find your purpose in life, it may not be in a career or even a ministry. The Bible gives us a good indication of our purpose by listening to an ancient prophet.

When Jesus was arrested, his disciples reacted in fear. Maybe you can relate. Fear turns us into control freaks and robs us of our future.

When Jesus was arrested, his followers were gripped by fear. This post helps to better understand the effect that fear has on us and how to overcome it.

Advent…the season when we reflect on God entering the world through a baby, reveals a side of God that we might not expect: weakness. How might the “weakness” of God encourage you this Christmas?

Henri Nouwen takes a radical look at both hospitality and forgiveness. If you have nothing, you are free to give and forgive everything. A reflection from his book, Show Me The Way.

There are two kinds of guilt: one that leads you to God and one that leads you away. Henri Nouwen takes a look at a guilt that leads you away from God. A reflection on his book, Show Me The Way.

Striving to always be your best can get the best of you. Perfectionism can lead to depression. But understanding God’s acceptance might relieve you of this burden.

There is an inverse connection between shame and Sabbath, or the ability to rest. Shame causes us to strive for acceptance and never enter the rest that God has for us. But when you stop to rest, you might hear God’s voice of love.

This is the final post in the brief series on How To Pray, looking at Jesus’ teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. In this post I look at three things Jesus said we can ask for in prayer.

This is part two in a short series on How To Pray. In this post I look at what our view of God should be before we even ask for anything from Him.

Too many people fail to pray because they think it’s complicated. It’s not. If you can talk to a friend, you can talk to God. This post begins a brief series on How to Pray.

Some people are easily offended. Maybe that’s you. Henri Nouwen speaks to this condition and points to a better way.

Responsible people are high achievers. They can move mountains. But they need to give themselves permission to rest in God’s love and acceptance.

We need a theology of suffering, that is, a view of God and suffering. Our misundertanding of God and suffering leads us to unhealthy places. But Jesus’ ministry helps us understand God’s view of suffering.

Too often we left our emotions or the words of others define our value. But God’s love for us should be what determines our value in this world.

Deconstructing faith. It seems to be what people are doing a lot these days. Is it wrong? Is it dangerous?

Many people struggle with a lack of purpose and often give up on life. We can look to Jesus to see how his sense of purpose gave him the ability to endure all things.

Jesus clearly lived under the pressure of stress but he did two things that researchers have proven to be effective in dealing with stress. Quotes from “The Upside of Stress” by Kelly McGonigal.

This is part three of a a three part series on Generosity and Jesus. This post looks at the fears that make us selfish.