​Before you read this, note that this is not a political piece but a spiritual one and an invitation to God’s people to stand in the gap as we near election day.

​How do you approach politics and the upcoming elections? Some people adamantly voice their opinions, others are silent on matters and still others don’t even plan to go to the polls, feeling that their vote doesn’t matter...

​Joy. It’s an underlying theme throughout the Bible. There’s joy in God’s presence, joy in God’s house, joy when we receive the answer to our prayers. Are you tapping into it?

Are you showing signs of dehydration? Not physical – but spiritual dehydration. Are you fatigued? Depressed? Do you feel like you’re wandering in a dry and dusty land, without zeal and without hope for relief? 
 
You can live without food for 20-60 days. You can only live three days without water. Without water, body systems change...

Winds blow. Storms come. Are you swayed by “winds of doctrine”? Affected by the news of another scandal in the pulpit? Are you moved by the encroaching agendas of darkness?
 
Cling to the Rock...

“The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13 NLT
 
Who do you call when you’re in trouble? Who’s on speed dial when you get a flat tire or get locked out of your house?
 
In my teenage years, the answer was easy. Call Dad. I may have feared his wrath when I totaled my car late one night, but I still called my dad to get me out of the jam. I knew he would come. I knew my father would somehow help me work through the consequences of my actions. He loved me...

Are you living with intention? Do you have a purpose and plan for your life – something that motivates you, excites you – and more importantly, gives you hope? 
 
It’s easy to fall into the rut of living an automated life...

​Can you hear The Cry? The cry of the human heart? It’s calling as you pass the bus stop. It’s looking through the eyes of the girl across the counter, the guy across the room. It’s contemplating the alternatives...

Life is hard. Relationships can be messy. Pursuing your dreams can be a challenge. The work to “make ends meet” can test your strength and endurance.
 
Try again.

Peter James and John were fishermen in Israel. Hard workers, their livelihood relied on each night’s catch. And sometimes the catch just wasn’t there...

​Typically I look forward to the new year. A time to hope and dream. A time to toss the old and embrace the new. But this year was different. I’m facing uncertainties in 2024 and I realized there was an element of fear in my heart.
 
Can I meet the challenges? Dodge the potential punches? Ride the roller coaster that “new” and uncertain sometimes brings? Instead of excitement, I was reluctant to dream too much, hope too big...

​What do you see when you look at the nativity? A tiny baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, vulnerable and weak? In a society where injustices abound and the long-held values of the Bible are in question, perhaps you should take another look...