Step Into Significance

Frederick the Great, King of Prussia in the mid-1700s, once summoned the pastor of his courts asking for proof of God’s existence. The pastor thought for a minute then answered: “the Jews.” He thoughtfully asked the king to consider how God’s people had been preserved time and time again despite incessant persecution. In Psalm 77:13-14, […]

I love movies. I’ve always enjoyed watching stories come alive on screen, especially when those stories are inspiring, and even more, when they’re true. My favorite types of stories are what I call “underdog” stories. You know the kind—tales of someone fighting from the bottom, through trial after trial, to reach their dream. Perhaps I […]

Throughout my young adult years, I struggled with perfectionism. One day, while preparing a message, I felt so overcome with frustration that I bit my Bible, leaving teeth marks on the front cover. I had to buy a new one to preach with that Sunday! Thankfully, I’ve come a long way since then. It took […]

Growing up, I often viewed prayer as a last resort. Not on purpose; it was just natural for me to try figuring things out on my own first. In college I realized: prayer was not designed to be our last option. It was designed to be our first. God is a miracle-working God, and He […]

When I was a kid, my mother often asked, “Jimmy, do you know what happens to those poor at paying attention?” “What, Mama?” I’d reply, though I could recite the answer from memory. “They become poor in life,” she’d say. As annoying as it was, the phrase carried great truth. Several times over the decades […]

When Jesus began His ministry on earth, people formed many ideas about who He was. They called Him a good person. A gifted teacher. A respected rabbi. An anointed miracle worker. A God-ordained prophet. While these were accurate descriptions of titles He bore, they were not all-encompassing. It was only those who recognized Jesus as […]

Shortly after both my parents died, my siblings and I visited their home to go through their belongings. We each picked several keepsakes to take with us. They laughed at my first pick—the cookie jar. I picked that jar because it represented sweetness to me. Mom always stocked it with her town-famous cookies, and I […]

Activity is the beginning of accomplishment. Dreaming is fun, but it’s not until we actually do something about those dreams that they have the potential to come to pass. James 2:17 talks about this when it says, “… faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” It’s always diligence to do what needs done that leads […]

I like to think of courage as fear that has said its prayers. It’s moving forward when it’s hard, knowing there is something worth fighting for on the other side of the tough place you’re in. We find incredible examples of courage all throughout Scripture, but one of my favorite examples is not one specific […]

St. Augustine said, “The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.” Pretending to be perfect is exhausting, but when we understand we’re all sinners in need of a Savior, that’s when true life-change begins. As believers, our goal should be to live with integrity, understanding that it’s not about perfect actions, […]