Jim Graff

John Quincy Adams once said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” Few biblical figures exemplify this better than Nehemiah, whose masterful motivation of two vastly different audiences teaches us timeless principles for godly, heart-centered leadership. Nehemiah achieved something remarkable: he convinced the […]

Mother Teresa once advised, “Be faithful in the small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” Nobody likely thought much when she first invited an abandoned leper into her home, caring for them with dignity. But by the time she died, she was known worldwide for initiating transformative change—the kind that comes […]

Years ago, one father’s heart was breaking over a bitter fallout with his son Michael. Overwhelmed by regret, he placed an ad in the local small-town newspaper: “Dear Michael, all is forgiven. I miss you. Would you please meet me on the bench in the town park at noon this Saturday? Love, Dad.” Saturday arrived, […]

One of the greatest revivals in the history of Christianity is called the Welsh Revival. During that revival, in about a six-month span of time, 5-7.5 percent of Wales’ population came to Jesus, nearly 70 percent staying until their dying day.  This revival began not with a passionate moment on a public platform but with […]

Since the beginning of time, civilizations have gathered near water because it’s essential to life. Water sustains every part of the body—from cellular processes to temperature regulation—and maintains environmental balance through weather and ecosystems. This is why Scripture portrays the Holy Spirit as water for the believer. Just as water is essential for physical life, […]

Our grandkids visited us this summer and brought a game called Beanboozled. I’d never played it before; if I had, I probably would have politely declined! Here’s how it goes: you spin a spinner that lands on a picture of a jelly bean you have to eat. The problem is—each color jelly bean has two […]

I’ll never forget asking Tamara to marry me—the nerves before I popped the question, and how my heart leaped when she said yes. I was overjoyed! We can all think of moments when joy filled our hearts to overflowing—but they’re just that: moments. For some of us, they’re few and far between. That causes me […]

Growing up, I was the youngest of five siblings—three boys, two girls. My brother Kenny, five years my senior, was an exceptional athlete. I loved him picking me up to play on his team for Wiffle ball, basketball, or football games. We typically won, and I was very aware it wasn’t because of my abilities—it […]

In our church, we often remind people that our community is imperfect because it’s full of imperfect people seeking to learn more about a perfect God. And if someone thinks it’s perfect, the minute they join, they’ll make it imperfect too! The key to experiencing an incredible life full of meaningful relationships isn’t dependent upon […]

When our daughter was planning her wedding, Tamara and I enrolled in ballroom dancing lessons. We assumed we’d be naturals! After all, Tamara was a cheer captain of a 5A school, and I was a college athlete. But we soon realized our success in ballroom dancing didn’t so much depend on our individual strengths but […]