Category Archives: Hope?

Four servants of God who battled fierce despair

Posted on March 5, 2020 by

Four servants of God. Each one reached an extremely low point in life. All of them felt that life was no longer worth living. Continue reading →

Posted in Abuse, Addiction, Anger, Anxiety, Assurance, Bitterness, Broken Relationships, Call to ministry, Character, Childhood trauma, Christian life, Comfort, Complaceny, Conceit, Conflict, Contentment, Crisis, Depression, Despair, discouraged, Discouragement, Divine Lottery, Doubt, Elders, elders in the Church, Emerging Leaders, Emotions, Encouragement, Failure, Faith, Fear, feeling hopeless, Freedom, God's Patience, God's Heart, God's Love, Grace, Gratitude, Grieving, Hope?, Kindness, Leadership, Life of a pastor, Loss, marriage problems, Meaning of life, Mercy, Middle life, Mind Renewal, Nihilism, Pain, Pastors, personal, Praise, Prayer, purpose, Questioning God, Repentance, Sadness, Seeking God, Selfishness, Spiritual Detox, Spiritual inventory, Spiritual transformation, Suffering, Suicide, Temptation, Trials, Truth, Victory, Walking with God, Will of God, Wisdom, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Where can we find security and safety?

Posted on September 4, 2019 by

When you feel vulnerable or anxious, or when you feel misunderstood or misrepresented… Continue reading →

Posted in Comfort, Faith, feeling hopeless, God, God's Heart, God's Love, God's power, God's Protection, Hope?, Suffering, Trials, Weather, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Never give up on prayer

Posted on January 14, 2019 by

Why does God allow perseverance in prayer to be part of our experience with Him? Prayer is an appeal to one who can do what I cannot do and what others won’t do. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian life, Coming of Christ, Despair, Disciple-making, Discipleship, discouraged, Discouragement, Doubt, feeling hopeless, Following Christ, Hope?, Jesus Christ, New Christian, Prayer, Problem of evil, Spiritual disciplines, Teaching of Jesus, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

My first funeral (a suicide)

Posted on December 8, 2018 by

There was standing room only at the funeral parlor as I faced some rather austere men and women dressed in the old black garb common to conservative Mennonites. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Counselor, Counseling, Depression, Despair, Eternal life, feeling hopeless, Funeral, Hope?, Life of a pastor, Sadness, Suffering, Suicide, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Feeling discouraged?

Posted on November 10, 2017 by

We all know what it is like to feel discouraged. Take a moment and consider four recommendations for times of discouragement. Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Assurance, Burnout, Christian worldview, Comfort, Defeat?, Depression, Despair, discouraged, Discouragement, Encouragement, Eternal life, Eternal security, Fear, Fear of death, God's Love, Grieving, Hope?, Mercy | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

7 resources for spiritual maturity

Posted on November 7, 2017 by

Spiritual growth requires looking ahead and looking back. Continue reading →

Posted in Change, Character, Christian life, Church growth, Counseling, Following Christ, Gospel-centered, Grace, Holy Spirit, Hope?, Image of God, Judgment seat of Christ, Mission statement, New Christian, New Creation, Parenting, Pastors, Personal devotions, Purity, Quiet Time, Salvation, Sanctification, Scripture, Spirit filled, Spiritual Detox, Spiritual disciplines, Spiritual growth, Spiritual inventory, Spiritual transformation, Trials, Victory, Walking with God, Will of God | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A deeper look at the human need for change

Posted on March 22, 2017 by

Politics, culture and the role of law are agents of change that seem essential to our existence. These means offer limited solutions to some of our problems and offer the potential to promote human flourishing. But we have a deeper need that cannot be addressed through these agents of change.
Continue reading →

Posted in Addiction, Anthropology, Atheism, Behavior, Change, Character, Christian life, Christian worldview, Church and State, Common grace, Counseling, Earth, Evil in the world, God's Love, God's power, Gospel, Government, Guidelines for living, Hope?, Human depravity, Human dignity, Main problem, Politics, Regeneration, Salvation, Sin, Spiritual growth, Spiritual transformation, Worldview | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

You don’t have it in you

Posted on August 24, 2015 by

Do you feel inadequate and defeated? Are you facing impossible circumstances? Put things in perspective by reminding yourself of this truth…. Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Christian life, Christian worldview, Christianity, Discouragement, Hope? | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Why does it feel so hard to live for God?

Posted on July 31, 2015 by

How are you doing? Feeling exhausted and weak? Helpless? Maybe hopeless?
You are in a good place for seeing … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian life, Depression, Despair, discouraged, Discouragement, feeling hopeless, Hope?, Pain, Sanctification, Spiritual growth, Spiritual transformation, Suffering, Trials | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Why do I feel so torn?

Posted on February 5, 2015 by

If you are a teacher in the Church or one who influences other followers of Christ, please make sure they understand the painful reality of the tension they will experience and how torn they will feel because of God’s Spirit living in them. The Christian life is one of tension between the already and the not yet. Continue reading →

Posted in Blessed by God, Christian life, Christian worldview, Christianity, Church Leadership, Conflict, Contentment, Depravity, Depression, Despair, Discouragement, Doubt, Encouragement, Eternal life, Eternal security, Faith, God's Patience, God's Heart, God's Love, Gospel, Gospel-centered, Guidelines for living, Holy Spirit, Hope?, Meaning of life, Pastors, Salvation, Sanctification, Spirit filled, Spiritual growth, Spiritual inventory, Spiritual transformation, Suffering, Temptation, Trials | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments