Proverbs 23: 7 states that "as a man or woman thinks, that is who we really are." Our thought life, the way that we think, is an inseparable component of our existence. Neuroscientists and neuropsychologists tell us that we have anywhere from 60 to 80,000 thoughts a day and half of those thoughts are negative! You don't have to be a negative person to have negative thoughts. Negative experiences with people, negative experiences on the job, even negative experiences with family members will produce negative thoughts. As powerful as our thoughts are, changing our lives includes changing our thi ..read more

We are living in unprecedented times. We are adjusting to the impact of various challenges and problems in our society. A global pandemic, affordable health care, immigration, gun violence and the reality of racism, to name a few. 1 Chronicles 12:32, says to us, "And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had an understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do..."Knowing what to do always give a person confidence. Not knowing what to do can leave a person anxious and uncertain. The word understanding that we read in our text means "to have insight or to act with prudence ..read more

The Apostle Peter says to us in 1 Peter 5:7 in the NIV, "Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you." The NIV version of 1 Peter 5:5 teaches us, “you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humility as a virtue is rarely discussed in our society or even many churches as being valuable to life and ministry. Virtues are qualities of moral goodness and excellence, qualities that we aspire to. Virtues are further regarded as qualities of the mind, the w ..read more

A cycle is a period of time or a complete set of events that repeat. A process that returns to its beginning and then repeats itself in the same sequence or manner. A portion of the cycle of hope is as Isaiah 40:31 declares, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Biblical hope, rooted in our confidence for the future has as its foundation faith, trust, reliance, and confidence in God.  In both the OT and NT, Biblical hope is a confident expectation or assurance base ..read more

In Matthew 22:37, the Bible instructs us to "love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." The word mind in this passage is the Greek word dianoia, which is more precisely translated as willpower or volition. Romans 12:2 says, “Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Here, the original Greek word for mind is translated as nous, defined as “the seat of reflective consciousness, comprising the faculties of perception, understandi ..read more

One study by the National Organization for Women Foundation reports that at age thirteen, 53% of American girls are “unhappy with their bodies.” This grows to 78% by the time girls reach seventeen. The study further reports that 50% of teens are “self-conscious” about their bodies; 26.2% report being “dissatisfied”. By age 60, 28.7% of women feel “dissatisfied” and 32.6% feel “self-conscious” about their bodies. Studies at Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts found that 70% of college women say they feel worse about their own looks after reading women’s magazines. And one of ..read more

The Christian Standard Bible version of 1 Samuel 30:8 declares... “and David asked the Lord, “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them? ”The Lord replied to him, “Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them and rescue the people.” The ASV of 1 Samuel chapter 30 verse 8,  says…“David inquired of Jehovah, saying, If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? And He, God answered him, Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake them, and shall without fail recover all.” Our English definitions of the word recover mean to get back, to regain. O ..read more

Jesus says in John 13:12-17, in the Message Bible,“Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So, if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.” If we are to be servant leaders, our minds, thoughts, emotions, designs and de ..read more

Weakness is a defining feature of our humanity but we seldom, if ever, acknowledge or recognize this reality. The Apostle Paul recognized this when he stated in 2 Corinthians 12:9…" when I’m weak, that’s when I’m strong." The answer in the Bible for our weaknesses is to call on the Lord for strength, and there are reminders all over His Word to do just that. The book of Psalms is one of the best sources of biblical encouragement and calls for divine help. Join us as we journey with David, the man after God's heart, as we discover principles and precepts from his life in the book of Psalms obta ..read more

One of the greatest military leaders in history, Napoléon Bonaparte, once said that a leader is a dealer in hope.  I have modified Napoleon a little by saying a “servant leader is a dealer of hope.” As one of the greatest and most famous military leaders and rulers in the history of France, I believe what Napoleon is saying is through a time of war, chaos, hardship, and uncertainty, how important it is for us as servant leaders to generate hope and motivation through the most difficult of circumstances. Being inspirational and emotionally stable through hardships and in the midst of troub ..read more