7 Essentials

Chase the Strays

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I love watching just about any documentary or educational program on wildlife. When perusing channels I rarely pass by something produced by National Geographic. One of my favorite specials is on the African lions. Let me set the scene for you. It’s the classic African Serengeti landscape. Heat waves rise from the earth, distorting the camera’s view. Multiple, colorful birds crisscross in the sky and the camera zooms in on a herd of wildebeest. Hundreds of them can be seen grunting and grazing their way across the plains in search […]

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7 Essentials

Reach the Lost

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Growing up, my greatest fear was being lost. It terrified me so much at times while hunting as a young boy, I considered never going in the woods. The fear would grip my heart so tightly, I would be consumed in a panic attack. It took years of maturing and battling that fear to conquer it. Today I love the outdoors and the adventure of traversing God’s creation. When I think of people lost and separated from God, my heart aches with those similar feelings of fear I had as […]

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7 Essentials

Abide in Christ

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Last week I shared how spiritual guardrails protect us as we navigate the dangerous curves of life. Before we can make healthy disciples, we must first be healthy disciples. Let’s examine together the guardrails God gives us to remain healthy, not only in our personal walk with Him, but also corporately in the church. The first protective guardrail is Abiding in Christ. Even after years in ministry, when I hear “abide in Christ” I think of a pristine park where I am supposed to be sitting in some deep, meditative […]

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7 Essentials

Guardrails

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It’s hard to believe that 17 years ago I responded to God’s call in my life for ministry. Great friends and co laborers have reminded me often of The Lord’s loving kindness on that journey. Ministry in Jesus’ church is not for the faint of heart. Looking back I can see assumptions I have made, moments of being naive, days of being blinded by my selfish motives, but also great victories in spite of myself. In my last few years at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, along with Jim […]

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Applying Truth

“I AM”

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Defining oneself by what you do is common. I am a doctor, lawyer, pastor or even an outdoorsman. We introduce ourselves based on what we do. Last week I had the opportunity to preach at an outdoorsman event. Each man I met there identified himself as an avid fisherman, duck hunter, or the occupation they held. My time came to stand up in front and deliver a message about Jesus Christ and His influence in my life. When the director of the event introduced me as a pastor, speaker, author […]

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