The Hope of Healing

The human soul is a place of profound mysteries. God is a person of infinite creativity. He can do this any way he wants. Sometimes he goes straight for the wound or the brokenness. Having had that healed, we find it far easier to resist the enemy and renounce our sins. Sometimes it requires binding the enemy first, simply so we can think clearly enough to do the repenting and find the healing we need. This is an outline to the process whereby we become holy in his name.…

“The ball is, as it were, in our court. God has invaded human history and reality. Jesus Christ has died on our behalf, is risen, and is now supervising events on earth toward an end that he will certainly bring to pass, to the glory of God. The issue now concerns what we will do.” - Dallas Willard, from Renovation of the Heart. Everyone gets a spiritual formation. Whether good or bad, from our parents or simply our experiences in the world, we all get one.…

What a privilege to hear the heart of Joseph Grenny who has dedicated much of his life to helping organizations and individuals influence positive change in their business and personal lives. Learn more about The Other Side Academy, which he co-founded, to do so much more for the marginalized in our society. Here's a preview of our discussion during the Embracing Brokenness podcast coming May 22nd. https://youtu.be/24m0ZcnaulM

“The tent is tired!” Those were the words of my friend Paul, who pastors a church in Nairobi, Kenya. Since 2015, the congregation has worshiped in a tentlike structure. Now, Paul writes, “Our tent is worn out and it is leaking when it rains.” My friend’s words about their tent’s structural weaknesses remind us of the apostle Paul’s words regarding the frailty of our human existence. “Outwardly we are wasting away . . . . While…

It is a stark reality, isn’t it? Whether intentionally or unintentionally—and “even if we deny it”— our spirits have been formed by a lifetime of experiences, choices, and interactions. We have become a certain type of person. In many cases, the influences of this world have shaped our personality and character without our direct forethought or intention, in ways that leave us broken, wilting, and in desperate need of transformation into Christ&rsquo…

A little girl named Liz, was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed. The doctor explained the situation and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. He hesitated for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, ‘Yes, I’ll do it if it…

James Cameron, director of the movie Titanic, describes the Titanic as a ‘metaphor’ of life: ‘We are all living on… Titanic.’ When the Titanic set sail in 1912, it was declared to be ‘unsinkable’ because it was constructed using a new technology. The ship’s hull was divided into sixteen watertight compartments. Up to four of these compartments could be damaged or even flooded, and still the ship would float. Tragically, the…

"Perhaps no event in the life of Jesus more powerfully demonstrates the radical nature of his dependence on God and his obedience to God’s will than the prayer he offered up in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before his crucifixion. Jesus, like everyone else living during the Roman Empire, knew full well the brutality that was execution by crucifixion. The drawn-out process would be utterly humiliating and excruciating. Jesus knew that he would feel, as any…

Listen I was reading an excerpt from Gordon MacDonald’s book, Ordering Your Private World. In Chapter 6, Has Anyone Seen My Time? I’ve Misplaced It!, he writes, “The central principle of all personal organization of time is simple: time must be budgeted!” As I read on, he cites many examples of how Christ operated with practical methods of organization. It got me thinking even further about the percentage of His time on earth that was invested in…