Last week I told you about my friend Roger and that Roger’s son, Eric, died as child, unexpectedly. That was twenty-five years ago; Roger hasn’t ‘gotten over it’ but he has learned to live with it. The promise that has allowed him to come to terms with the tragedy is that he knows he will, […]
Entries Tagged as 'suffering'
Jesus and the Third Grader
April 13th, 2010 · No Comments
Tags: God's purpose · Heaven · suffering · Thriving in Tough Times
When a Child Dies
April 7th, 2010 · 1 Comment
I like to think I’m pretty good with words, but a few times in my life I’ve been speechless. At those moments anything I could have thought to say would have been less than required. Words of advice or comfort or empathy would have been wooden and miserably weak. There wasn’t a thing I could […]
Tags: faith · Heaven · suffering
Why Did God Allow This to Happen? Part 2
October 3rd, 2009 · 1 Comment
Last week I wrote about why God would allow bad things to happen to people. Whether bad things were initiated by another person or by nature – like a tsunami or an earthquake. I also mentioned David Pawson’s book, Why Does God Allow Natural Disasters. The book came from a three hour TV series in […]
Tags: Obedience · suffering · Thriving in Tough Times · Trust
Why Did God Allow This to Happen?
September 22nd, 2009 · 2 Comments
I had lunch with a friend last week and he had a question for me. He mentioned, Jaycee Lee Dugard, the little girl in California who was kidnapped by Phillip and Nancy Garrido and used as a sex slave for eighteen years, bearing two children by Garrido during the time. My friend’s question was, “Why […]
Tags: suffering
Forget About Tithing
June 24th, 2009 · 19 Comments
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow […]
Tags: Courage · faith · Fear · Heaven · love · money · peace · Prayer · suffering · Thriving in Tough Times · Trust
Light Shines Better in the Dark
June 9th, 2009 · 1 Comment
Thriving in Tough Times Part 10 “For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.” (James 1:11) There’s nothing pleasant about tough times. Employment is better than unemployment. […]
Tags: Courage · faith · Fear · God's Voice · Prayer · suffering · Thriving in Tough Times · Trust
Thriving in Tough Times Part 7
May 5th, 2009 · 2 Comments
Tempering Your Faith in World Systems “What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider’s web.” (Job 8:14) I was eating lunch at a restaurant in Orlando one summer day a few years back when a thunderstorm knocked out the electricity. Power outages from lightning aren’t uncommon in the Southeast in […]
Tags: Courage · faith · Fear · God's Voice · Prayer · suffering · Thriving in Tough Times · Trust
Thriving in Tough Times 1
March 17th, 2009 · 2 Comments
Part 1: Adopting a Christian Worldview “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) At one point I was a child of this world – a citizen of its system. To understand […]
Making a Great Sponge
March 11th, 2009 · No Comments
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4) I used to work for a company that made sponges from foamed polyurethane […]
Tags: God's purpose · suffering
Success is a Tricky Business
February 24th, 2009 · 2 Comments
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) I was on the phone with my buddy John last week and he mentioned something Jesus said in 2 Corinthians. Being the red letter expert I am, I informed him that Jesus didn’t say anything in 2 Corinthians; […]
“Would You Condemn Me to Justify Yourself?”
January 13th, 2009 · 1 Comment
“‘Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself.’” (Job 40:8) I received a sad comment this weekend. It was a response to a Purpose Weekly letter “Has God Forsaken You?” You can read the letter and the comment (feel free to comment yourself) at: http://www.gotpotential.org/gods-purpose/has-god-forsaken-you. Here’s the comment from John: Bull____. […]
Tags: Courage · faith · Fear · God's purpose · God's Voice · Heaven · Hell · joy · Justice · love · Obedience · peace · Prayer · purpose · suffering · Thriving in Tough Times · Trust
I Will Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills
January 13th, 2009 · 2 Comments
“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2) I took advantage of the relative quiet over the last two weeks of holiday to finish pre-press edits for the North American edition of Unlocking the Bible by David Pawson. It’s a […]
Tags: Church · community · Courage · David Pawson · faith · Fear · God's purpose · God's Voice · Heaven · Hell · joy · love · Obedience · peace · Prayer · purpose · success · suffering · Thriving in Tough Times · Trust
THE SHACK – In Defense of William P. Young
August 21st, 2008 · 15 Comments
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15) Throwing the Baby out with the Bathwater Purpose Weekly, August 21, 2008 Vol. 2, Issue 30 For the last few weeks we’ve been talking about trusting God when the circumstances seem […]
Tags: God's purpose · Heaven · Hell · love · suffering
Has God Forsaken You?
August 13th, 2008 · 6 Comments
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1) When God Turns His Back Purpose Weekly, August 13, 2008 Vol. 2, Issue 29 Ever feel like that? It was David doing the talking in Psalm 22. Something […]
Tags: God's purpose · Justice · peace · purpose · suffering
Do People Who Haven’t Heard of Jesus Go to Hell?
August 13th, 2008 · No Comments
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart …” (Jeremiah 1:5) Purpose Weekly, August 5, 2008 When the Questions are Too Big Vol. 2, Issue 28 I received a response to last week’s Purpose Weekly, “The Heavens Declare the Glory of God.” Last week’s letter […]
Tags: God's purpose · Heaven · Hell · love · purpose · Stars · suffering · Tapestry
Courage Part 3
May 5th, 2008 · No Comments
Purpose Vol. 2 Issue 18 May 2, 2008 The Weekly Newsletter of True Potential Publishing Courage Part 3 “In those days Israel had no king; every one did as he saw fit.” (Judges 17:6) “We have met the enemy, and he is us” – Pogo We’re going to hang with the Judges for one more […]
Tags: Celebrity · community · Courage · faith · Fear · Heaven · Hell · Israel · Justice · money · Obedience · peace · Prayer · purpose · suffering · Thriving in Tough Times · Trust
Courage Part 2
May 5th, 2008 · No Comments
“Let me die with the Philistines!” (Judges16:30) Purpose Vol. 2 Issue 17 The Weekly Newsletter of True Potential Publishing Courage Part II What Makes a Hero? Remember last week? Gideon fought the bad guys, the Midianites, and won. He was a Judge, remember? There was another Judge in old Israel, a few Judges down from […]
Tags: Celebrity · community · Courage · faith · Fear · God's purpose · Israel · Justice · love · money · Obedience · Prayer · purpose · success · suffering · Thriving in Tough Times · Trust
Fruit of the Spirit – Self Control
April 21st, 2008 · No Comments
Purpose Vol. 2 Issue 10March 7, 2008 The weekly newsletter of True Potential Publishing Self-Control “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) It’s probably fitting that “self-control” is the last fruit of the Spirit in our […]
Tags: faith · Fruit of the Spirit · God's purpose · joy · love · peace · purpose · success · suffering