Category Archives: Trials

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

Are you a wise and discerning person?

Posted on February 21, 2018 by

When I began ministry many years ago, a scene out of the life of Solomon greatly influenced me and became my prayer. Continue reading →

Posted in Church Leadership, Discernment, Elders, elders in the Church, Emerging Leaders, Leadership, Life of a pastor, Pastors, Qualifications for leadership, Suffering, Trials, Wisdom | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Blessed are the persecuted?


Posted on January 13, 2018 by

Here are people declared by our Lord to be “blessed” when they are insulted, persecuted and falsely maligned with all kinds of evil against them. How unusual for them to be commanded to, “Rejoice and be glad!”
Continue reading →

Posted in Blessed by God, blessing, Christian worldview, Christianity, D. A. Carson, Disciple-making, Evil in the world, False accusation, Persecuted, Sermon on the Mount, Suffering, Teaching of Jesus, Trials, Wisdom | 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

Transformed pain…

Posted on February 1, 2017 by

Let God transform your pain so you can become a transformer of pain for others. Continue reading →

Posted in Blessed by God, Encouragement, God as Potter, God's control, God's Heart, Pain, Sanctification, Suffering, Trials, Wisdom | Leave a comment

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

The unexpected ways of God

Posted on October 28, 2014 by

We easily drift into a discouraged and disillusioned state when we misunderstand the ways of God Newton described here. Continue reading →

Posted in Grace, Spiritual Detox, Spiritual growth, Spiritual transformation, Suffering, Trials | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Every day is NOT a great day

Posted on August 20, 2014 by

Do we now live in cultures that encourage unrealistic expectations of uninterrupted happiness? I find it troubling when the Church strains to paint everything in such positive terms that believers are shocked and perhaps disillusioned by trials and suffering. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian life, Christian worldview, Comfort, Disciple-making, Fear of God, God's Love, God's Will, Grieving, Heaven, Hope?, Joel Osteen, Loss, Suffering, Trials, Wedding, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment