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Two weeks ago, while waiting for a late-night appointment to arrive for counseling, I did something that I seldom get to do. Usually, I try to be productive while waiting for a couple to make their appointment by working on a class outline, studying, or perhaps doing paperwork. That night I was feeling somewhat burnout, so I decided to waste a few minutes by skimming over social media. I keep a watch out outlook on the church’s social media and…

Study 1st Peter 2:9-10. Really dissect those verses. Tear apart those words and hear what God is saying to you. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”…

In the field of marriage counseling the gold star tool used by more counselors to help couples preparing for marriage; plus married couples wishing to improve their marriage is: PREPARE/ENRICH. PREPARE/ENRICH measures a couples maturity in the 15 major building blocks of a great marriage. Building blocks such as marriage communication, financial management, faith, how to deal with the in-laws, and problem solving. I have used PREPARE/ENRICH with my couples for over 30 years and have found it to be…

So many folks look at the cross of Jesus and focus in on certain things. I guess we all may be guilty of this perspective. One of the more dangerous focuses is any man who will focus on everything except that middle cross where the body of the Son of God was hanging. Some look at the cross of a criminal and say “I want to be saved like the thief on the cross”. Let’s take some time and notice…

The game show Jeopardy is one of the few TV shows I watch. I’m always amazed at the knowledge of the contestants in every area other than the Bible. Stories I have known since my childhood stump most of the participants. The struggle demonstrated by these contestants reflects the overall drop in Bible knowledge in the last 50-years, but it doesn’t have to be. GIVE ME 5! Give me just a little time from your personal schedule and watch the…

In 1985, the Country and Western artist George Jones released a song entitled, “Who’s Gonna Fill their Shoes”. The underlying theme of this song, as far as I know, is who will be the next Country and Western stars. I would like to use this idea as a spring board for this article. Let’s explore who’s gonna fill their shoes- spiritually. Recently, we have laid to rest some good Soldiers of the Cross. We have had a tough few weeks.…

Very often, we as people, think of life in the aspect of time. We think of minutes, hours, days, and years. As Job would write in Job 14:1, “man is of few days…”. David wrote that a man’s life will be about “three score and ten”. Then James, the half brother of Jesus, wrote that “life is a vapor” (James 4:14). There is no shock to us to find out we have a difficult time with the comprehension of Eternity.…

They arrive in my email INBOX almost every week. A desperate cry for help from a person in deep despair, like the one I received two weeks ago (Please note – I have been given permission to share this email message). “Michael, what do I do? I wasn’t raised this way. I have made a total mess of my life. My aim in life has been fun and excitement but that has led me to problems. Bad decisions upon bad…

We all have them. I have one on the underside of my arm as a box cutter slipped one day while I was working in a grocery store as a teen and I sliced open my arm. I have another one on my upper arm as proof of a childhood vaccination. Just two weeks ago, while recording a video lesson, I gained a new one as I took a wrong step leaving the podium area and fell in the auditorium…

Our 40 DAYS OF PRAYER officially ended this past Friday. Over the last few days, I have heard back from many people regarding this united effort of Christians around the world. From Kenya, “Thanks to the 70 West church for spearheading this effort. Our church here has been involved. We have seen faith grow. We have seen better cooperation. We have felt good about doing this with you.” From the Philippines, “40 DAYS OF PRAYER has helped me become dependent…

I can’t remember having feelings like these from just reading an email from a stranger. The email was from a Christian woman dealing with a very real problem. I read her question and her problem struck a nerve. The words on the computer screen gripped me. The emotions flooded my mind. I was immediately drawn in and like Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus, I wept. Why was I crying? I was experiencing empathy for this woman I only knew…