Identity Security

What’s in Your Top Box? It’s a question I heard from Bill Hybels way back at the 2015 Global Leadership Summit. Bob Buford was asked the same question from a high-powered strategic planner he hired as he was considering how to move from success to significance in the second half of his life. I’ve asked that question of myself more than once during my 35-year career as a business owner, employee, leader, and now in ministry. It’s a question that each…

What is my purpose in life? Many people today are asking that question, but only those who have trusted Christ as Savior and Lord can ever discover the true answer. Our salvation is an act of God, and now we’re His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to accomplish what He has prepared for us to do. That is our purpose in life, and it has three components. Sanctification is simply ongoing growth in holiness. As we cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s work in our,…

It was the mid to late 1980s, and there were plenty of opportunities to make tons of money in real estate and a whole lot of other things. Real estate just happened to be my drug of choice—the thing that looked pretty, seductive and pleasurable but ended up being my ultimate demise. It was about my need for significance played out in a very public way. After all, who doesn’t admire a wealthy young man with a lot of flashy toys, including big waterfront homes and…

True transformation cannot be forced from the outside. It’s an inside-out process. Who of us has not received or created a list of ways to live, eat, exercise, respond, seek God, grow, and change—and how long did it last, if it worked at all? Those lists don’t work very long for anyone, and so we fall back into self-contempt. The problem does not lie with our lack of discipline. The problem is in the approach. The problem lies with the lists… A list…

Spiritual discernment develops progressively over time. The Lord doesn’t simply pour knowledge into our head after we’re saved. It’s important to regularly seek His will and study the Word in order to know Him better. We should also ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand Scripture and obey what it says. The church is another avenue of instruction. As the Bible is taught and explained, we gain a foundation of truth on which to build our life. But let&rsquo…

Since our world has many dangers, we have legitimate reasons to be afraid. But Christians shouldn’t live in trepidation as a way of life, because God’s awesome promises allow us to be at peace in every circumstance. For our protection, God has instilled some natural apprehensions in us, like a fear of snakes or deep water. He also gave us a warning system so that we could react quickly to danger. For instance, if a car speeds toward us, an instantaneous reaction…

If you’re like me, looking ahead to next year and what may be on the horizon seems a bit overwhelming. A whole lotta trepidation. What do I mean by that? Well, let me see. An ongoing worldwide pandemic, job security, heating bills, the cost of gas, inflation in prices of almost everything I buy, supply chain problems (if you need something you can’t find), being isolated again (maybe), going back to the office, shortage of help in my business, school for me or…

As my friend reviewed the pictures I took of her, she pointed out the physical characteristics she saw as imperfections. I asked her to look closer. “I see a beautiful and beloved daughter of the Almighty King of Kings,” I said. “I see a compassionate lover of God and others, whose genuine kindness, generosity, and faithfulness have made a difference in so many lives.” When I noticed the tears brimming her eyes, I said, “I think you need a tiara!;…

I suffer from a disease called chronic disappointment disorder, or CDD. It’s not a real disease; don’t ask your doctor about it. It may be fake, but it affects me—and my celebration of Christmas—in a very real way. For most of my life, the sting of disappointment accompanied every holiday. I felt let down when quarreling children ruined my serene Christmas morning. My spirit deflated when my pumpkin pie looked more like a science fair project. I…