Bob was walking across a bridge when he saw a man named Jim, about to jump to his death. “Don’t jump!” said Bob. “Why not?” asked Jim. “I don’t have any friends.” Bob: “Are you religious?” Jim: “Yes.” Bob: “Me too! What denomination?” Jim: “Baptist.” Bob: “Me too! Southern Baptist or American Baptist?” Jim: “Southern.”…
You must learn to stare shame in the face, then walk away. Jay Stringer writes, “My research found that shame was the most consistent key driver of unwanted sexual behavior. Shame convinces us that we are unwanted, and we pursue behavior that confirms it. To find freedom, disarm the power of shame.” Andy Casagrande, the…
There are three keys to sobriety: desperation, surrender, and community. And a part of community is accountability. You need to have someone in your life whom you hold accountable for their sobriety, and you need to be accountable to someone else. The Bible says it like this: “Set the believers an example in speech, in…
An artist asked the gallery owner if there had been any recent interest in his paintings, which were on display. The gallery owner said one man had asked if the paintings would appreciate after the artist’s death. “What did you tell him?” asked the artist. “I told him they would appreciate in value, and he…
There’s a little verse in the New Testament that reads, “Abraham went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). Notice three things. 1. Abraham didn’t wait until he had all the facts before he stepped out. Life is about direction, not destination. When God directs, start walking, whether you can see the finish…
Jim decided to finally face his fear of heights. On his 50th birthday, he decided to jump out of an airplane. After the necessary training, Jim was in the plane. As the plane neared the point where Jim would jump, he turned to his instructor and asked a question. “What if my parachute doesn’t open?…
The Bible says, “The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Notice that word, “strongholds.” Plural. More than one. And you can insert “addictions” in its place. Addictions are strongholds, and many of us have more than one. For example, a study of…
Let’s talk about one of the demons that can bring you down the hardest – futility. When you start believing the lie that recovery is futile, that your periods of relapse have rendered you hopeless, that is when you are in real trouble. Dr. Jay Stringer writes, “When futility goes unaddressed, it will eventually taunt…
Do you ever feel stuck? Ever feel like you have an uncertain future? King David pondered that very question: “How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:4). Repeat after me – “My past does not define me and it does not own me.” John R. Rice was…
In 1792, Thomas Jefferson convinced George Washington that the government needed a presidential home. It was decided to solicit drawings from the public. In March of 1792, ads were printed, offering $500 to the person who submitted the winning design. Only nine designers applied. The winner was James Hoban, an Irish-born architect from South Carolina.…