Galatians 5:19-21 A single drop of oil placed in water can cover the area of a two-car garage, according to the U.S. National Park Service. A quart of oil can spread over water the size of three football fields. It doesn't take much oil to contaminate water. It doesn't take much sin to contaminate our lives. We tend to think our own sin is not as bad as the sin of others. So when we see a list of sins, we like to cherry pick, pointing out certain sins as worse than others, when in reality, all are equal contaminants. The Apostle Paul didn't rank sinful behavior when he presented a list i ..read more

I am convinced that the most important aspect of putting faith into practice is sensing a daily relationship with the Holy Spirit. Yet the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood part of the Trinity. Since we're in the season of Pentecost, which celebrates not only the birth of the Christian church but the gift of the Holy Spirit, I am presenting a three-part series in this blog of (1) who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit has done (2) the roles the Holy Spirit plays, and (3) how we can live daily with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is one with and equal to the other members of th ..read more

John 17:22-23 During the pandemic, I had an online misunderstanding with the wife of a lifelong friend. She correctly called me out for poor communication on a political point I was making (by the way, I don't make online political points anymore). I acknowledged and corrected my mistake, but I sensed she still had hurt feelings. Then my friend sent me one of the most welcome texts I've ever received, assuring me that I am his brother, and nothing could ever change that. I was so relieved and expressed my gratitude. I have carried that text in my heart ever since. Jesus wants us to be uni ..read more

Two free mini-books accompany your purchase of my book, "From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone: How Jesus Urges Us to Take Leaps of Faith for His Kingdom." The first is called "The Disciple Profiles." Several of Jesus's disciples are subjects in the main book, as I examine their comfort zones and how Jesus drew them into his trust zones. Of course, Peter is one, and the disciples as a whole are represented. Thaddeus, Matthew, and James the son of Alphaeus also come to life in the book. Readers have been so intrigued by the disciples that I wrote a mini-book that tells about each disciple, includin ..read more

As we live a seven-day practical faith, we must realize that the energy, inspiration, and Spirit connection we need to live each day in faith cannot come from Sundays alone. Instead, we must constantly replenish ourselves if we are to constantly give of ourselves. One hybrid spiritual discipline that combines meditation, prayer, and scripture is called the devotional. Devotionals are short messages consumed within a few minutes; their forms may include reading, viewing, or listening. Their purpose is to give us a focused thought, tied to scripture, that can illuminate and rejuvenate our fai ..read more

Matthew 25:40 (NIV) I was so pleased today to finish a project I have pondered for years and started working on this winter. I have added an extension to our front landscaping to accommodate native plants that will get a lot of sunshine in the Texas heat. From sticking stakes in the ground to digging and hauling and re-measuring and arranging, the project has taken shape until finally the bed is ready for the plants. My wife Sara is supportive of my landscape projects. Knowing how my late mother had a green thumb, Sara points out how I like to get my hands in the dirt like her. I feel most ..read more

When we commit to becoming disciples of Christ, we need to understand what it means to be a disciple. What does Jesus require of us? What do those requirements mean to our daily lives? How can we apply the stories and sayings of Jesus to life situations? As I read the Gospels, I’m struck by how often Jesus challenges people, urging them to leave their pasts behind, to immediately follow him, to repent and change their ways, to take risks, to do uncomfortable things to serve his kingdom, to trust utterly with faith that at its fullest would move mountains. I've written a book exploring a do ..read more

Galatians 5:1 Have you felt the weight of regret? When we make a mistake, experience failure, or hurt another person, we can carry it for a long time. Peak performance expert Brian Cain offers three useful images to his clients, many of whom are athletes whose failures are public. The images are: A toilet A brick A black box After a failure, it helps to flush what happened. But often, we still carry around the mistake, like a brick. Imagine the weight of accumulating bricks that you haven't dealt with. The black box helps "flush your brick." An airplane's black box allows analysis ..read more

Colossians 1:15-20 I have a favorite commercial jingle. It accompanies a skin medicine commercial, and the key line is "Nothing is everything." Catchy and interesting. It reminds me of a book by Tullian Tchividjian entitled, "Jesus + Nothing = Everything." The reason faithful Christians can claim that equation is based on Colossians 1:15-20 (NIV), Paul's eloquent statement of the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether t ..read more

I'm excited to update you on my podcast in four ways: 1. I've renamed my podcast "Practical Faith Academy Podcast" to better define what it's about. It started as the name of a season, as I interview various people about how they put their faith into practice, but now it's the identity of the podcast itself. 2. The podcast is now available on iHeartRadio, the sixth platform to carry the podcast. 3. In June, I will shift from monthly podcasts to twice-monthly podcasts. Pray for my consistency in adhering to the new schedule! 4. The May podcast is up, and it's a good one, with Season Bowers ..read more