How do I have an authentic, meaningful relationship with God?

A couple of weeks ago, we asked my blog readers to submit questions for me to answer. I answered five of them at a recent filming, and today’s blog and the next four posts will be my answers to those questions.

One of the questions asked was, “I have accepted Christ as my Savior. How do I begin to have a authentic meaningful relationship with God? Besides going to church. I mean on a more personal one on one basis."

Is God calling you to missions in 2010?

I have the highest regard for the cause of world missions, and the greatest respect for Action International, one of many fine missions groups. While Doug Nichols is making this request, these ten qualities express what many other missions are looking for, too. Ask yourself if you or someone you know fits this profile, and ask God whether He wants you to step out in faith and follow Him to bring Christ to people in another part of the world. 

Building a Biblical Worldview

Acts 17:11 says that "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." We should come to God's Word with "great eagerness."

A Commencement Address to Live By

It’s graduation time, and I’d encourage you to be discerning as you hear the message being sent to graduates. Often it is ridiculously overblown and flattering and ego-massaging. Much is said about how great the graduates are; little is said about their need to serve others.

Stewarding Your Time

In light of my recent post on biblical illiteracy, I wanted to give some practical suggestions for being a better steward of the time God gives us each day, especially for making time for the study of God's Word.

What should I do to be successful in following Christ?

A. W. Tozer wrote "Every soul belongs to God, and exists by His pleasure. God being who and what He is and we being who and what we are, the only thinkable relation between us is one of full Lordship on His part and complete submission on ours."

Psalm 1 says this:

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers [Paraphrase: Blessed is the man who does not so abide in his culture that the ways of his culture abide in him]

Planned Neglect: Saying No to Good Things So We Can Say Yes to the Best

I've recently been overwhelmed with seemingly endless opportunities to do good things. I've been weighing what to say yes to and what to say no to. Seems like every year of my life I have to say no to more good things.

What Does a Cross Bearer Look Like?

A friend recently asked me, "What would be some of the characteristics of the life of a person who is bearing their cross? (Matthew 16) What does this cross-bearer look like?"

Join the Rebelution

In our last EPM quarterly newsletter I included an excerpt from Alex Harris’s The Myth of Adolescence. I’ve known the Harris family for many years. Gregg and Sono have been used of God to raise extraordinary children. Not just the ones you’ve heard of either, though you’ve likely heard of the oldest, Josh, author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, A New Attitude Toward Romance and Relationships.

The Blessing of Gratitude, the Curse of Complaining

The child in this picture is NOT one of my grandchildren. But he pretty much captures what a lot of us, older and younger, behave like when we don’t get our way. (And have you noticed, we often DON’T get our way…which is actually good.)