Links & Quotes

One of the best pieces of leadership advice I’ve ever received: Slow down to touch people. Leaders have full agendas everyday, but they cannot miss opportunities to connect with the people they lead.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of, for to have been thought about, born in God’s thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking.” —George MacDonald 

“Trials come to prove and improve us.” —Augustine 

An interesting overview of the Jewish names and activities of the disciples of Jesus. 

“We participate in the culture of our times because we are creatures of our times. We can’t escape the artifacts, institutions, and conventions of our day; however, we are at the same time citizens of a heavenly realm, and we serve a higher Authority than our unsaved neighbors, follow a different moral code, and seek a different City than they do (Hebrews 12:22-24). Thus, all we do in this world, all the ways we make and use culture—even down to how we take our meals (1 Corinthians 10:31)—should declare to those we engage with us that our cultural norms and use lie beyond their sight in a world where beauty, goodness, truth, righteousness, peace, and joy are the order of the day.” —T.M. Moore 

“You can never give another person that which you have found, but you can make him homesick for what you have.” —Oswald Chambers 

Ernie Johnson, a hall of fame sportscaster, announced his retirement. Breakpoint shared a blog post about this entitled, “Only this could silence Charles Barkley.” Here’s what is so noteworthy about Johnson and his career.

“God is preparing His heroes; and when the opportunity comes, He can fit them into their places in a moment, and the world will wonder where they came from.” —A.B. Simpson 

“By universal evolutionism I mean the belief that the very formula of universal process is from imperfect to perfect, from small beginnings to great endings, from the rudimentary to the elaborate, the belief which makes people find it natural to think that morality springs from savage taboos, adult sentiment from infantile sexual maladjustments, thought from instinct, mind from matter, organic from inorganic, cosmos from chaos. This is perhaps the deepest habit of mind in the contemporary world. It seems to me immensely unplausible, because it makes the general course of nature so very unlike those parts of nature we can observe.” —C.S. Lewis, in The Weight of Glory 

Is There A Place For Resigning?

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

Greg and I had been talking about resiliency vs. resignation, but then Greg asked if there is a place for resigning. The short answer is yes, but check out the proper way for leaders to help facilitate this in a healthy way. 

Check out the full conversation from The Craig and Greg Show called Resilience Over Resignation. 

And you may also be interested in these blog posts: 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Say So

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

The apostle Paul makes an interesting point with a little play on words—two words, to be specific: peace and God. Check out Philippians 4:4-8. Paul says, “the peace of God” (Greek: eirene Theos) and “the God of peace” (Theos eirene). Surrounding these titles are reminders to be grateful. Throughout Scripture we see this link between our gratitude to the God of peace, and the peace of God which guards our hearts. 

(You can read all of the Bible verses mentioned in this post by clicking here.)

A natural byproduct of the peace of God is contentment. But contentment can also be our undoing, if we aren’t careful to use it the right way. 

Watch out for contentment that becomes complacency—taking our blessings for granted. If we do this, complacency leads to forgetfulness. And as soon as anything is not going right, our forgetfulness produces anxiety. 

Charles Spurgeon said, “When we have much of God’s providential mercies, it often happens that we have but little of God’s grace, and little gratitude for the bounties we have received. We are full and we forget God: satisfied with earth, we are content to do without Heaven.” 

The wrong things to feel contented about: 

  • My possessions 
  • Absence of enemies or troubles 
  • Things going my way 

Psalm 107 is a history lesson for us. Notice a repeated pattern for Israel that is still operational today. 

  • give thanks (v. 1) → complacency which leads to hunger (v. 5) → calling to God for deliverance (v. 6) 
  • give thanks (vv. 8-9) → rebellion which leads to trouble (vv. 11-12) → calling to God for salvation (vv. 13-14) 
  • give thanks (v. 15) → foolishness which leads to rebellion (v. 17) → calling to God for help (vv. 19-20) 
  • give thanks (v. 21) → drunkenness which leads to being at their wits’ end (v. 27) → calling to God for deliverance (v. 28) 

Finally, in v. 31 we have a “give thanks” that doesn’t proceed to complacency and trouble. If contentment fuels expressed gratitude, that keeps not just eirene Theos on our minds, but also Theos eirene. This keeps us watchful for God (v. 43): In this verse “heed” means to keep a close watch, and “consider” means to have increased discernment and insight. This restarts the right contentment cycle. 

The right things to feel contented about: 

  • Not my possessions, but God possessing me—Psalm 131:1-2 
  • Not the absence of troubles, but not being troubled by troubles—Proverbs 19:23 
  • Not things going my way, but things going God’s way—Job 1:21-22; Philippians 4:11-13; Deuteronomy 8:3 AMPC 

When our thoughts about God begin to fade, so does our gratitude to God. When our gratitude to God begins to fade, so does our reliance on Him. 

The strategy for how we keep our thoughts on God is embedded throughout Psalm 107: We must use our mouth to recount His blessings—exalt and praise (v. 32), tell (v. 22), say so (v. 2). 

You need to hear your “say so” in your own ears to energize your faith (science backs this up). The enemy needs to hear your “say so” to defeat him (Revelation 12:10-11). Others around you need to hear your “say so” to encourage them (Philippians 4:9). 

My challenge to you: At the end of everyday, write down one thing you are grateful for. Try to find a unique thing each day. Then put a box next to that thing. The next day, find someone to whom you can “say so”—to tell them, “I’m so grateful for _______.” 

Let’s be known as the “say so” people, constantly telling, exalting, and praising the every-day blessings that God showers on us. 

Check out the other messages in this series called The Peace in Gratitude here. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Links & Quotes

2 Peter 1:3 tells us that the divine power of Jesus has given us everything we need to live a God-honoring life. Jesus did the work so that we could do the work! Without His work, we are unable to do anything for ourselves.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“A rule of thumb for organizing your work strategy: Work where you are strongest 80% of the time, work where you are learning 15% of the time, work where you are weak 5% of the time.” —John Maxwell 

“A July 2026 study of immune cells found that cell function depends not only on genes and proteins, but also on how those parts are linked.” Check out new findings that continue to point to the genius of our Creator God! 

Then looking at how our blood vessels grow is another astounding discovery of the mind-blowing engineering of God’s design. “For a new blood vessel to grow in a useful direction, several steps must stay coordinated. The cell must detect force, pass that signal inward, change its activity, and remodel nearby tissue. At the same time, the growing vessel must keep its structure and function. The study shows these linked steps working together as one controlled response.” All of these intricacies point to an all-wise Creator!

This year marks the 500th anniversary of the first printed version of the Bible in English: the Tyndale Bible. Here is a remarkable historical account of William Tyndale and what the British Library called “the most important printed book in the English language.”

“Our pilgrimage on earth cannot be exempt from trial. We progress by means of trial. No one knows himself except through trial, or receives a crown except after victory, or strives except against an enemy or temptations.” —Augustine 

“The Azusa Street Revival (1906-1909) in Los Angeles and the African-American pastor of the Azusa Street Mission, William Seymour, have become iconic symbols of the Pentecostal movement. However, historians and participants in the revival point to a lesser-known Baptist pastor and graduate of Spurgeon’s College, Joseph Smale, who helped prepare Los Angeles for the revival.” Read more about Pastor Smale and the revival he ushered in. 

“Pilate hoped Jesus would defend Himself. Justice could be served and the whole matter put to rest if only the accused would speak, if only He would answer Pilate’s questions and, you know, help him a little bit. But the just outcome Jesus was seeking in silence before Pilate was of a much higher order than what the governor had in mind. And He knew that, for divine justice to be served in His situation, all human injustice must have its way.” —T.M. Moore 

“I do not perceive that John says, ‘Blessed are they that understand this Book,’ for, surely, they would be very few. I do not doubt that there are portions of Scripture which are not meant to be understood as yet—things concerning the future which are wrapped up in a phraseology which will be plain enough when that future arrives, but which for the present are not intended so much to gratify our curiosity as to stimulate our watchfulness. To keep us constantly on the look out, is the main object of every revelation concerning the future.” —Charles Spurgeon, commenting on Revelation 1:3 

Cold-case detective J. Warner Wallace uses three “chapter ones” from Scripture to make the case that Jesus really is God. And then check out this video where Wallace explains how we can trust the veracity of accounts of the virgin birth of Jesus, as recorded in the Gospels. 

Effective And Productive

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

Do you know what is consistently found to increase mortality rates in older adults? Retiring from the workforce. One study “found that those who retired at 55 and lived to be 65 died 37 percent sooner than those that retire at 65. And in general, people who retire at 55 are 89 percent more likely to die within ten years than those that retire at 65.” 

This is because people who retire from the workforce typically retire from productive living as well. They have reached an arbitrary age where they assume their effectiveness is not as impactful as before, so they stop trying. 

I think Peter has this in mind as he concludes this list of virtues. He doesn’t want any saint to say, “Well, I have added to my faith, goodness…all the way to agape,” and then add, “So now that I have arrived, I can take it easy.” Instead, Peter urges us to continue growing (2 Peter 1:8; compare v. 3. 

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)

Look at this phrase in a couple of other translations: 

  • As these qualities are yours (AMPC) = as you own them, understand them, and practice them more proficiently. 
  • The more you grow, the more productive and useful your life will be in God’s kingdom. 

I want you to think about who you see in the Bible that has retired. I cannot think of one, but instead we see saints making every effort to be productive and effective until God calls them home. 

  • Moses—Deuteronomy 34:7 
  • Caleb—Joshua 14:10-12 
  • John—2 John 12; 3 John 13-14 
  • Peter—2 Peter 1:13-15 

Notice Peter’s progression…

(1) IF you possess… There is no end date on this. The phrase “make every effort” (v. 5) is in the aortist tense and active voice. So it just keeps going. The phrase “if you possess” (v. 8) is in the present tense and active voice—so I have to always be active. 

(2) They will keep you… They will keep you growing. They will keep you fruitful. They will keep you excited about working for God. Literally translated: They will keep you from being barren and from shunning the labor that you ought to be doing. 

(3) But… If I have an attitude that I have arrived, that I can relax, then I will regress. The Christian walk should be constantly upward (Proverbs 15:24). 

This is not to say that there are no temporary stumbles. Unrealistic growth is an unbroken step upward without any plateaus. Realistically, there are times of plateau: (a) for assimilation or (b) preparation. Think about our friend Caleb. He had 40 years in the desert that could have seemed like a barren, unfruitful time. But he clearly kept himself ready and in fighting condition that whole time, so that when his mountain moment came, he was ready to meet the challenge! 

(4) Therefore… We have the repeated encouragement to be all the more eager to keep growing. There is a rich welcome awaiting that saint (Luke 12:42-44, 35-38). 

Keep going. Keep growing. Keep making every effort. Keep possessing these qualities in increasing measure. Keep active in God’s work until the very end. 

Saints should want nothing less than full productivity and effectiveness until they are called Home. 

Check out all of the other messages in this series here. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Links & Quotes

Jesus wants us to experience all of His blessings, so He has gotten this amazing cycle of power started on our behalf. Don’t try to take this out of His hands, but keeping doing what He has empowered you to do.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“An indifference of spirit between truth and error, good and evil, may be called charity and meekness, but it is not pleasing to Christ.” —Matthew Henry, commenting on the Nicolaitians in Revelation 2:6 

J. Warner Wallace correctly says, “One non‑negotiable was this: if Jesus is anything less than God, Christianity collapses in all the places that matter most.” He then points to several places in the Bible that unravel if Jesus isn’t God.

“Stand your ground like an anvil under the hammer.” —Ignatius, writing to Polycarp 

“Arguments about Scripture achieve nothing but a stomachache and a headache.” —Tertullian 

T.M. Moore notes, “In this…question regarding taxes, Jesus laid down a fundamental principle concerning the relationship of human institutions—in this case, government—to the divine economy. He made two important points.” Read more about how Christians are to use the things of culture to glorify God.

Ryan Dembeck reminds us that Christians should have an impeccable work ethic. In this post he says, “Over the years, after hundreds of interviews and conversations, I’ve observed three qualities of people who glorify God in their everyday vocation: resolve in the calling, grit because of joy, and dedication to others’ flourishing.”

Melvin Hodges studied religious revivals throughout history. Even looking at the religious fervor at the dawn of the New Testament church. He said, “The New Testament Church gradually lost the purity and power that characterized her apostolic beginnings, and became adulterated by worldliness, greed and paganism as she increased in numbers and influence. … We dare not ignore the lessons of history.” He identified three characteristics of a declining revival movement: 1) a diminishing hunger for God; 2) a lack of concern for holiness; and 3) the loss of the sense of mission and destiny.

Ever since encountering honeybees as a kid on my grandparents’ farm, I have always been fascinated by these amazing creatures. This new finding adds more reasons to stand appreciate the genius of our Creator! For further proof of the genius of honeybees, check out the mathematical and engineering genius God has given them—

What Makes Prayer Difficult?

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

Some people think that pastors have so much time for prayer, so they must be really good at it. But prayer is difficult for all of us—pastors and saints. 

My book Amen Indeed was written to help pastors pray. This book contains over 100 Scripture-based prayers organized by topic, weekly prayers before preaching a sermon, and some historical quotes about prayer. 

Pick up your copy today! 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Friending Like Jesus

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

The words we use are important and can be quite revealing of what’s going on in our heart and mind. I often find it quite funny listening to some of our students and their choice of words. For instance, I heard this exchange the other day between some guys: 

“Do you like her?” 

“Yeah, I like her.” 

“But do you like her like her?” 

“No way! I like her as a friend. I don’t like her that way!” 

This may be both cute and confusing for adults relating to young men and women. But I have learned that these young people are setting some clear boundaries about what their relationship with that other person entails. They’re really saying, “I don’t dislike her, but I’m not ready to say that I love her yet either.” 

However, this kind of language and this kind of mindset should never be said about Christians! We are coming to the pinnacle of this progression of virtues that Peter is listing for saints, so let me remind you of what built up to this point (see 2 Peter 1:1-7).

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.) 

I read the words brotherly kindness in v. 7 because nearly every English translation has it rendered that way, and it’s probably the closest to the Greek word philadelphia. 

  • The root word (adelphos) is used over 300 times in the New Testament. 
  • Adelphos can be literally translated as a biological sibling (Matthew 1:2), but it is most often used in the NT as a spiritual brother or sister (2 Peter 3:15, 1:10). The first Christians recognized that their faith in Jesus—a faith as precious as ours—adopted us all into the same family of God. 
  • The prefix philos means the most straightforward, uncomplicated definition of “friend” that come readily to your mind. 

So when we are talking about the precious faith of precious friends, we are talking about something distinctively Christian. 

Last week we saw how Jesus taught us the importance of abiding in Him (see John 15:4-11). Our abiding produces a fruitful harvest. In the next verses, Jesus goes on tell us what this harvest looks like (John 15:12-17).

Notice the word command (v. 12, 17) is singular. Jesus said the same thing in John 13:34-35, and John again highlights this in 1 John 3:23. 

The word for love is agape, which Peter uses in 2 Peter 1:7. He says philos grows into agape. But now Jesus says, when we are abiding in His agape, something amazing happens: We are called friends (philos) of Jesus (John 15:13-15). Unlike my young friends, it appears that Jesus sees no difference between liking (philos) and loving (agape) for those who are called His saints. Lovers of Jesus will love their friends so much that they will like their friends too! 

Solomon describes friendship like this:

  • Always loving—Proverbs 17:17, 18:24 
  • Speaking truthful, loving words—Proverbs 27:6 
  • Giving helpful counsel—Proverbs 27:9 

This growth of philadelphia to agape, which then demonstrates itself by looking like philadephia has some powerful benefits. 

  1. It sharpens all of us (Proverbs 27:17). 
  2. It adds power to our prayers, which also benefits everyone (John 15:7, 16; James 5:16). D.L. Moody expressed it the opposite way: “If we do not love one another, we certainly shall not have much power with God in prayer.” 
  3. It enhances our witness (John 13:35, 17:21). 

My friend T.M. Moore wrote this about a healthy, growing family of saints—

“Oh look: ‘the Lord added to the church daily…’ [Acts 2:42-47]. Now we’re talking. Let’s get those numbers up, shall we? Let’s do, but let’s remember that adding people to our church is the Lord’s work, and He does it His way. And His way is to cause people to respond to the lived and spoken witness of a body of believers who love one another, encourage one another, build one another up, share with one another, and present a united voice, speaking truth in love to their community. When they see our oneness, Jesus insisted, they will believe the Father has sent Him.” 

This whole progression we have seen in 2 Peter becomes a continually growing, continually God-glorifying, Christ-revealing, Spirit-led testimony! Your part in this is invaluable and indispensable! 

So we must ask ourselves: How would Jesus be a friend? Am I friending like Jesus? 

If you have missed any of the previous messages in this series, you can find them all by clicking here. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Links & Quotes

Pete Marra from Breakpoint shared this on a podcast: ”What we have at our disposal through business, the ability to organize, to solve problems, to create value, to deploy capital, to steward the things that God has given us, is something that’s very unique to enterprise itself. … I believe not only has God brought you to this place and called you to this space, but he’s equipped you for it.” My podcast cohost and I have co-authored a series of books called “Business by the Book.” They are designed to help equip you with God’s wisdom for each department of your organization. Check them out here.

I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

“To say any man is a real Christian is undeniably the highest honor we can confer upon him.” —Wilfred Grenfell

“A friend of mine said, ‘We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it’s there for emergencies but he hopes he’ll never have to use it.’ Now God, who has made us, knows what we are and that our happiness lies in Him. Yet we will not seek it in Him as long as he leaves us any other resort where it can even plausibly be looked for. While what we call ‘our own life’ remains agreeable we will not surrender it to Him. What then can God do in our interests but make ‘our own life’ less agreeable to us, and take away the plausible source of false happiness?” —C.S. Lewis, in The Problem of Pain 

“Sometimes you fall apart on the inside while you look put together on the outside. Your private and public worlds don’t connect at all. Others cannot perceive the trauma you feel, the despair and loneliness. Only God knows that.

“The danger in success is dishonesty with self, others, or God. You will substitute eternal accomplishment for internal peace. What happens to you becomes more important than what happens in you. David alerts us to face this problem. Our successes may be happening despite God’s displeasure. Our concern must be more upon, ‘Is God pleased with me? than ‘Is God pleased with what I am doing?’” —Dr. George O. Wood, in A Psalm in My Heart, commenting on Psalm 60

Abiding In Worship

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

Peter is giving us an important progression of virtues that supercharge our Christian testimony in the world and our ability to encourage fellow saints. We’ve looked at the first four (faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control) and now I see a place for a warning. 

A saint that is growing in their faith, in their goodness that shows itself as a Christian gentleman or gentlewomen, increasing in their knowledge of the things of God, and staying within the guardrails of self-control is probably starting to get noticed. They are seeing their own growth in maturity, and their old friends are also seeing it. This is a place to be on guard! 

I think this is what Jesus described in Mark 4:3-7, 14-19. 

  • A little knowledge can make us proud of what we’ve accomplished and tempt us to run too far ahead before we’re ready. This is the people with shallow roots. 
  • The worries of life can be giving too much attention to what others say or think about us, or how they begin to treat us. We become unfruitful when we pay attention to those things. 

(See all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.) 

Look at our progression in 2 Peter 1:2-6. The Holy Spirit inspired Peter to list perseverance in the perfect place in this progression! 

This is called patient endurance in the NLT and steadfastness in the AMPC, but I like to call it stick-to-it-iveness. The Greek word is interesting: hypomone = by (hypo-) + abiding (-meno). 

This word for remain or abide appears 11x in John 15:4-11! 

  • Scripture teaches us, but hypomone turns truth into hope (Romans 15:4) 
  • Hypomone keeps me living obediently to God’s Word (Hebrews 10:36; Revelation 14:12) 
  • Hypomone turns the seed of God’s Word into a bountiful harvest (Mark 4:8, 20) 
  • Hypomone keeps me peaceful—and therefore focused on God—during trials (Luke 21:19 AMPC) 

When Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin, those leaders could tell they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13b), so too with Stephen (6:15). The virtue that follows perseverance is godliness. Peter has already used this word to describe Jesus (2 Peter 1:3) and so does the Septuagint in Isaiah 11:2. 

The Greek word literally means “good worship” because godliness is a lifestyle—a lifestyle of worshipping God and magnifying the immeasurable worth of our Savior! 

To fully describe this word, godliness in the NT is typically linked with another attribute: 

  • godliness + power (Acts 3:12) 
  • godliness + reverence [righteousness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness] (1 Timothy 6:11) 
  • godliness + knowledge of the truth (Titus 1:1) 
  • godliness + zoe life (2 Peter 1:3) 
  • godliness + holiness (3:11) 

Remember that make every effort is not my ability to supply myself, but my choice to ask, receive, and apply. 

I must make every effort to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to persevere. I must make every effort to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit to display more Christlikeness. 

As I add goodness to my faith, and add knowledge to my goodness, and add self-control to my knowledge, and add perseverance to my self-control, and add godliness to my perseverance, people should see in me what John the Baptists desired: He must increase, but I must decrease. 

My growth in godliness is best seen by an attitude to persevere to see even more godliness in me. 

Check out all of the other messages in this series from 2 Peter called Friends of the Faith. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎