There used to be a television commercial for cough drops where a man stood on the top of a mountain yelling, “REEECOLA!” Yes, the guy is on top of the mountain, but how did he get there? Didn’t he have to go through a valley to get to the top? It often seems in life that we spend more time walking through those valleys than we do standing on the top proclaiming victory. But think about this, without the valleys, the mountains wouldn’t feel so high....

Jesus does not ask us to be powerful, influential, or popular. That does not interest Him at all....

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Money is the root of all evil”? The Bible does not say that money is the root of all evil, but talks about “the love of money. ” That is two different things....

I recently met a homeless man named Tom who lives on the streets of Sarasota, Florida. Soft-spoken, intelligent, and articulate, he’ll greet your gaze with a genuine smile if you look him in the eye....

Are you feeling ashamed because of what someone did to you or names you were called to minimize who you are? Are you ashamed of labels that stuck with you over the years, abuse you endured, lies someone has spread about you, something said that hurt you deeply from your childhood, or something that was said yesterday? You are a child of God. Proclaim John 1:12 (NKJV), “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name....

The psalmist David wrote these words found in Psalm 51:10 (NIV), “Create in me a pure heart, O God. ” David also wrote in Psalm 24:3-4 (NIV), “Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart....

A good quarter-of-a-century ago, my daughters enjoyed playing with Weebles. They have a unique weighted bottom that allows them to wobble, yet they don’t stay down....

Breakthrough: a sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development. Synonyms can include a quantum leap forward, a step in the right direction, or an improvement....

Do not hold anything too tightly. Being overly concerned that material goods will be lost, stolen, damaged, or scuffed often distracts you from your ability to care for others....

At times, being unpopular can be a good thing, especially when you are not following the crowd because you know their objectives are misguided. There are also times when the Holy Spirit convicts you to take a stand by speaking the truth in love....