“My sister has a tumor, she’s 15 and blind in both eyes,” an elementary school age girl told me on Saturday, “she’s right over there,” as she points with compassion- filled empathy in her eyes. My breathing stops as my heart races, and the desire rises from deep in my soul to see her healed. I got the chance to pray with the family, and with this precious teenager as well, but there was no change. No visible change at least – her hat was still over her eyes, walking stick in hand, with a solid grip on her guide dog’s leash. I saw the change in my spirit, the tumor shrinking, the eyes restored, light returning, celebrating and praising God. Instead, I simply saw an optimistic teenager with a great trust in God’s goodness, which is amazing and inspiring – I just know there’s more.

So I went to my secret place to grow. Jesus was not ok with blind people staying blind in His world, and neither will I be. Just because my experience did not line up with God’s word, does not make it ok to dumb down the word of God to human experience. I refuse to blame the faith of the person I’m praying for, or the country I’m in. God’s word is clear, Jesus said to John the Baptist, “the blind see, the lame walk … the good news is preached … Blessed is anyone who does not stumble” (Matt. 11:5-6). Why would we stumble? How can you say that Jesus? . . . Well, what about those who haven’t seen yet? That’s how you can stumble, and exactly how John did – What about me, I’m in prison?

The nature of growth in the Spirit requires that we focus on what is possible through Jesus, rather than on the impossibilities in our world. Focus on the fact that Jesus healed the blind and He told me to do the same. And the fact that I didn’t see it Saturday is not invitation to redefine what Jesus said, or an invitation to get bitter or discouraged. Instead, it’s an invitation into the heart of God who loves for the, “eyes of the blind to be opened” (Isa. 35:5). It’s an invitation to know Him, and in the mirror of who He is, discover more fully who you are. It’s that authority grounded so firmly in relationship with Jesus that will cause the blind to see, and all sickness to bow to the name of Jesus through you and me.

“I can’t find it dad!!!” says my 8-year-old son, scared and almost crying. When I looked to see where he was I was scared and almost started crying! He was at the top of a 25-foot pine tree!!! My heart is racing, and I tell him (as calmly as I could muster), “Ok son, just come down from the tree and I’ll find your boomerang.” He comes down from the tree, his voice shaking because he wanted to find his boomerang so bad (I’m saying, “Slowly” every few seconds). I send Jaren in for bed-time routine, just happy he’s safe.

NOW, it’s time to make good on my promise and find the boomerang!!! From the ground I looked all over the tree and couldn’t find it – I was going to have to climb – aaahh! Climbing a dense pine tree, I’m getting sap everywhere, poked in the eye a couple time with branches, and as I get higher, each branch creaks a little more under my weight. Jaren told me it was very high up, but part way through the climb I decide to turn around and survey everything around me. Sure enough, about 10 feet up the tree, way out on the branch in some thick foliage I spot my son’s boomerang! After a broom and some shaking the tree, I have a very happy 8 year old! God spoke to me through this …

• The breakthrough you’re looking for isn’t always as hard as you think. My son was 25 feet up and nowhere near his boomerang. If your search for breakthrough involves fear and crying you might be striving too hard.
• Stop and look around in the Spirit. Your breakthrough might not be as hard, but it requires a change in perspective – Stop, turn around from the mess you’re focused on and your source of fear, and see something else in your spirit.

God said, “See (Look!), I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19) The problem is not what God is doing or not doing, it’s in your perception of His work in your life. Are you taking the time to see what God is doing in your world? Do that right now. Turn around, and ask God, “What should I see in Your world right now?”

“I don’t wanna go to VBS . . .” whines my 6 year old, Jemma, through closed eyelids, with a drool spot on the pillow, clutching her blanket like it’s the last piece of bread for entire starving village. So Jessica gently rolls her body around on the bed until her legs come off the bed and touch the floor, five minutes later (no joke) Jemma is running around the house getting ready, chattering about all the fun things she’s going to do at VBS!

The nature of motivation is strange. All humans are wired this way. Daniel 6:4 says that Daniel, “was neither corrupt nor negligent.” Why do we assume someone has to be either corrupt or negligent? Because it’s human nature to want to work less. The new American dream is to work less and get paid more. It’s entitled, lazy and against God’s plan. God designed you for work. Work is good.

Truth: hard work enables more hard work. The less you work the harder it becomes to start. When you work, you build up your physical mental emotional and spiritual muscles to be able to handle more. There is a limit (working more does not necessarily produce more motivation to work), sometimes you need to diversify your work portfolio with different kinds of work to engage your mind differently, your emotions differently, your body differently. That diversification of activity between – people work, house work, desk work, manual work, sitting work, standing work, family work – will produce a rhythm of proper work motivation. You’re not built to do nothing. You’re built to be active. God hardwired activity into your DNA, but it takes a connection with the Holy Spirit to tap into organic and life-giving work motivation.

So take the first step – gently roll your body over, put your feet on the floor, get upright, and get working. Watch God work in you through this principle.

“We need to collect a toll!” Blake (JLC’s Creative Arts Pastor) says as he pops his head into my office on Monday. Immediately, I knew what he meant. You see, Abby (our Impacts Director) was home sick with a migraine. So we stopped what we were doing, and headed to the hospital!

Collect a toll? Here’s the concept: (it’s not stated as such in the Bible, but it flows with the Bible harmoniously) if the enemy is going after someone in your life, you go collect a toll and pray for and see a bunch of other people healed, making him pay for what he’s doing. So here’s the deal, I’m not a fan of fasting as a hunger strike in the middle of a crisis, because it feels like trying to manipulate God and assuming we have more compassion than him. However, I have no problem manipulating Satan. He’s a punk and a liar, and if he’s going after someone in your life, he’s got to pay. Remember, “The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 Jn 4:4) We get to give Satan a bad day, and “destroy the works of the devil.” (1 Jn 3:8)

So Blake and I headed to the Mclaren ER waiting room (asked permission) and prayed for 10 people there, loving them and seeing multiple people have changes in their pain levels … and … Abby woke up healed from her nap! So if the enemy wants to mess with you or someone in your life’s health, go pray for a bunch of people and see them healed. If he’s messing with your relationships, go speak life, forgiveness and Godly encouragement into a bunch of people’s relationships, and so on. You’re a son/daughter of the king you don’t need permission to stare down the enemy and Collect A Toll.

Foul breath, greasy hair, growling belly, beautiful sunrise, blank slate, fresh energy – what do all these have in common? I’m glad you asked – haha! They are each NEW every morning. I am NOT a morning person. I’ve wished I was, tried to be, mourned that I wasn’t, and finally just settled in. To all the morning people out there – good on you 🙂 – I wish you many beautiful sunrises. For real, sunrises are awesome!

Of all the things that can be new every morning, there’s one that matters SOOOO much – God’s love and mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:22-23). So what do you need today? Love? Mercy? Both? I need both on most days.

Here’s the truth – love and mercy are your inheritance from God TODAY! This is one way (of so many) to receive love and mercy from God. Say this, right now, “God, I believe you have love and mercy for me today. Right now, I receive your love and mercy into my heart, my mind, and I believe even my body is strengthened because of your love and your mercy today. In Jesus name, Amen.” Now let him wash over you, repeat this every day that you remember to.

“You have faith, I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds and I’ll show you my faith by what I do.” (James 2:18)

There is a substance to faith. Jesus talked many times about, “great faith,” (Matt 15:28) and, “little faith” (Matt. 8:26). The disciples petitioned Jesus, “Increase our faith.” So does size matter with faith? Yes . . . and No . . .

After one of Jesus’ statements about little faith he also said, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, ‘Move.’” So, size doesn’t matter? I’m confused. There’s a tension here in the Scripture – it’s tensions that hold up the most beautiful truths in Scripture.

The truth is this,

1. Faith is required – Without faith it’s impossible to please God. (Heb 11:6)
2. Faith is always effective (at its smallest and largest, faith produces only one crop eternity).
3. Faith can grow (That’s good news!)

How is that good news? That means that whatever you’re stuck in right now is probably one upgrade away from being history; that your faith has the ability to produce greater things in your life than ever before! Take a moment to ask, “Lord, increase my faith.” Now listen for what He asks you to do – because the next step is always simple obedience.

“I just need to look at my kids,” fell out of my mouth tonight, unannounced. It surprised my wife and my mind, but rang so true with my heart. The last few days have been filled with work and Pastor’s conference meetings every morning and night – and it’s been powerful and a blessing. But after an invite came in for tomorrow night, I wasn’t ready to say yes. Something deep in my heart couldn’t say yes to anything other than looking at my kids (not just looking J you know).

I believe God feels the same way about you. The Bible says, “The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (2 Chron. 16:9) God wants to look at you. His gaze will strengthen you. Here’s your part – be fully committed to Him.

Your Father is looking for your commitment. His strengthening gaze is ready for your soul. Pray right now, “Father, I commit my heart fully to you, I am your child and I love to delight in you. Give me joy right now within your gaze. Amen.”

God’s up there like Bob Ross painting “happy little clouds” and “happy little trees” and all of you happy people. So happy. The weather seems like it’s smiling today! But here are some lesson to win from the long winter . . .

1. Be content where (or when) you are. If you say, “I’ll be so happy when … (I get a better job, the sun comes out again, school’s out, we get out of this debt),” you’ve just delayed your happiness. The Bible says this, “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim 6:6). Contentment is amazing, Godliness is even better . . .
2. Put God first in EVERY season. Some people find it easier to have times with God when … (it’s better weather, life isn’t so crazy, they have friends pushing them, etc). Here’s the solution, don’t wait for anyone or anything to have times with God. The Bible, worship (there are more tools than ever for these), prayer – which leads to the last lesson . . .
3. What would your day be like if you offered God your full attention at least once every day? I’m not discounting car prayer (help that guy to be freed of road rage!), shower prayer (thank you that I don’t stink, as opposed to toilet prayer – haha), emergency prayer (help, I feel like I’m gonna lose it!), and random prayer (hey God, I didn’t see you there … sooo, how ya doin’?). Those are all necessary. However, there needs to be full attention prayer also . . .

Here’s a place to start today with giving God your full attention, ask Him this, “God, how do you want to make today more fun?” Then let God have input into everything that might happen in your day.

When my phone says, “It’s Time to Upgrade!” (Like some chipper little gremlin), no matter how many times I click “Dismiss” “Do Not Upgrade” “Later” “Stop Notifications” I know one thing for sure (almost as certain as tax day – haha), they’re going to ask again. BUT if somehow there’s a glitch in their system and they stop asking, I know something else is coming – that device will one day … just … die (caput, done, through, terminated). So which is worse? (hard to say, those notifications are annoying) No, no, no a dead device is worse. How much worse is a dead spiritual life?

When Jesus compared Himself and His words to “living water” (John 4:14, 7:37-39, He means that we have to continue to grow in Him our whole life. That upgrade in PATIENCE you pressed “Dismiss” on two years ago, and decided to jump ship anyway, the opportunity is coming back around. The “Upgrade” notification is coming right back, and the more you put it off, get angry at it, tell it to go away, or say that you don’t have time – the more you are going to NEED that upgrade. Or what about the upgrade in HOPE or FORGIVENESS or the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT. That upgrade opportunity is coming again, and this time it may be critical.

Let the Holy Spirit in, to work in that area. He won’t ever kick you out of class, you might just have to retake the test over and over until you get it.

When was the last time you were in a church service that was accused of being drunken? The first Christians in Acts 2 surely wanted lightning powers, or fire powers, or at least wind powers when the Holy Spirit came on them, but NO ONE was asking for drunken sounding languages powers. But that’s what they got. The Holy Spirit will not always come how you expect, but however He comes, you WANT it.

So, if it freaks you out to think of a church experience that is wild enough to look intoxicated, maybe your picture of church needs to change. If you’re bored with your devotional life, you might want to cozy up to the Holy Spirit – He can’t do boring. If you’ve ever wondered how to pray, or why it seems like you’re stuck in the same rut – I have good news for you – there’s more!

God is literally (not the ironic use of the word) infinite, meaning that no matter how much you know Him or know about Him – there’s always more and you want Him! So take a moment, picture God, and ask, “What’s the more that You have for me today?”