Encourage to Faith Blog
INSPIRATIONS, MOTIVATIONS, AND ENCOURAGEMENTS FOR YOUR WALK WITH JESUS.
Peaceful Warriors
"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love" (1 Cor 16:13). The "act like men" part really took me back when I read that verse recently. As a child, I was in awe of the heroic men of the Apollo moon missions....
Whelmed By God
Whelm: (verb) engulf; heap up abundantly. I spend too much of my time overwhelmed by the devolving events of the world around me—the world that I’m called to be in, but actually don’t fit in so easily anymore. These are harrowing times, one can’t help but notice....
Abiding in The Vine
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing" -John 15:5. As followers of Jesus, there are wonderful, transformative traits that we can access in our new natures and make a growing...
Walking With Jesus
Last time in the mountains, it was early evening and the light filtering through the trees was peaceful and beautiful and Jesus was with me. (When is He not?) I sat on a wooden bench and started to pray. I pictured in my mind that I got up and began walking on the...
Home for Good
I was born in Georgia and spent most of my adult life there. I’m sure that’s why after spending extended time in Florida I begin feeling displaced. That red clay is hard to get out of your nails. I suppose it’s just as hard to get the sand out from your toes. Florida...
The Longing To Be In God’s Arms
Faith and intellect both have their roles in the journey into God’s arms. Faith is the song in our hearts with which God draws us, increasingly, to His love. The intellect is a tool God gives to help lead us to the invitation already resounding in our hearts. I’m not...
Sharing the Good News On an Ordinary Day
(Last in a series on Evangelism.) Now, what am I to do with myself today? The bills need to be paid, the kids gotten through school, the grass cut into pieces (Aside: Why is the last grass row always on the outward cut? Answer: Fallen world), and in-between, I’ll...
Sharing the Good News in a Good Way
(Second in a series on Evangelism) I rant, occasionally. I can go on a bit (confession is good for the soul), especially on matters of faith. It might come across as if I don’t have the confidence of my convictions about God and so I repeat myself, louder each time,...
The Family’s Growin’
(This is the first of three parts on our role in spreading the Gospel message.) We sometimes think that reaching others for Christ is a competitive numbers game (in our flesh we do), where our side of the responsibility, now that Jesus died for the sins of the world,...
The Overflowing Love of God
"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink" (John 7:37). "I love you," God tells me, tells me forever. "But if you knew the things I’ve done, the things I’ve said, the things I’ve thought." "Yes, I know all about them son, and I love you more than you can...
To Fortify My Faith
At times, unpredictable to me, throughout my Christian pilgrimage, occasionally doubt comes to my mind like a cloud crosses in front of the sun. I don’t panic: “Oh no! Where’d you go this time, Lord?” I’ve learned that the “light of the world” (John 8:12) is always...
Second-guessing My Prayer
"Or whatever brings You the most glory, God; 'cause what do I know?" Now there’s a clumsy prayer ending for you, prayed just yesterday. I started off my prayer eloquently, I thought, doing my best to be polished enough to be heard by God over the demands of my own...
In Awe of God’s Attributes
Pertaining to God’s attributes, whenever I stop long enough to ponder them deeply, I always draw closer to Him. Let me stop now. He is… -Sovereign (Meaning, He’s in charge) -Forgiving (He sent His only begotten Son to die for my...
The Breadth of Life
I am walking through the loss of my cherished dog, Tracker. I realize with each loss in life the losses don’t get easier; they get tougher. That’s because the preciousness of every second of life is not as often lost on me as it once was. I know that God will cause...
Chocolate Labs and Lightless Moons
My beloved dog died last week. I know many of you can relate to the grief I'm feeling, having lost your own precious pets. I wrote the following chapter in the book Encourage to Faith some years ago. I thought it an appropriate homage to Tracker Boy... I HAVE A...
Christmas to Me
(Excerpt from the book Kindred Travelers, by Kevin Murray) I remember when I was a young child how Christmas was to me—the sights, the sounds, the scents, the tastes, and mostly how it felt….magical. I thought Santa Claus to be the most awe-inspiring fellow there was....
The Best Use of Our Time While Here
(This is the third of three messages on the goodness of why we are here.) Assignment 1: Walk through any luxurious neighborhood and see how many people are taking time to enjoy themselves on their front porch. In the 1979 comedy, The Jerk, Steve Martin plays...
The Goodness in Everyday Life
This is the second of three messages on the goodness of why we are here. A while back, I wrote out the following outline on living life, and more specifically, on how to experience the goodness in everyday life—because there is an amazing goodness to life, as you...
The Journey of Bliss
This is the first of three messages which build upon one another and shall culminate in a peak of clarity—hopes the writer—and an enduring optimism about the goodness of why we are here. bliss: perfect happiness; great joy God has created all human souls such that...
The Truth Seeker’s Creed
I spent years in unbelief, followed by years of searching for truth wherever that led, followed by a moment when I realized Jesus was my Savior and I transferred my trust to Him. Intellectually, the following is what that journey looked like: THE TRUTH SEEKER'S CREED...
Freedom For The Hurting Soul
A friend sent me a video recently of a young man singing his heart out. This YouTube-instant-sensation, plain-speaking, country boy comes out of the Appalachian woods and out of musical obscurity to sing—to wail really, to plead his case from his stripped down,...
The Triumph of an Eternal Perspective
In speaking to the disciples, Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33). If you’ve transferred your trust from self to Jesus, you have likely found this to be true in your own life, or you will. When the foundations to which you...
Our Christian Condition
In our dear Christian faith, we learn that going to church and sharing the experience of worshipping God together is wonderful; that opening the Bible at any time and mining the riches of God’s very words is divine; that, most astonishing of all, from the inception of...
Faithful Friends
One inspiring brother in Christ recently shared with me about the nearly unbearable difficulties of his journey over the past ten years, even as he spoke of how much his love for Jesus had grown during that time. Now, as I reflect back on what he said, I feel for the...
How To Handle A Closed Gate
Sometimes, I feel like a racehorse waiting for some gate to burst open so I can run around the track for God. But it just won’t open. My enthusiasm is there, but many parts of this life in Christ don’t move ahead like I think they should. Then I read, "In their hearts...
A Good Read
I love a good read. My definition of a good read: Any book that edifies by means of learning, enjoyment, or relaxation in a way that draws me closer to God. Olympian Eric Liddell said, "When I run, I feel [God’s] pleasure." If I may borrow the phrase, When I read, I...
Do Dogs Go to Heaven?
My chocolate lab, Tracker, saw an owl the other evening. Now he thinks everything’s an owl. He’s dreaming by my chair-side now—of a dozen owls, going by the commotion of his four paws. Dogs dream of owls. People dream of destinies. Dogs have souls—a mind, a will,...
Living on Holy Spirit Time
As Christians, we’re designed to live on Holy Spirit time. Too often, though, we live on the world’s time, trying to attend to all our details apart from God. Then we get frustrated when we can’t complete our checklists. All the while, God paves the way for anything...
Sigh For God Alone
I was talking to a friend the other day about the state of affairs in this world; specifically, the events you hear about that cause you to shake your head and wonder, How can the world survive this? For emphasis, I added: "It’s not a good thing. That’s for sure. But...
Shine Your Light
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world”(Mt 5:14). That is one great privilege. That is one great responsibility. So by all means, shine your light today. Don’t let life’s pressing circumstances keep it hidden anymore. Shine your light. When times get dark in this...
Claim Your Victory
I am a Georgia Bulldog football fan. To the chagrin (or indifference) of non-fans, two weeks ago, Georgia cruised to a resounding victory in the National Championship game - cruised, so much so that the outcome was no longer in doubt by the end of the first...
The Secrets to Life
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a blog, and for good reason: I’ve been hard at work creating an online mentorship program. I’ve had a lot of time to think all this while, and you’ll be thrilled to know I have boiled down the secrets to a truly fulfilling life to...
Pursue The Truth
What to do about these challenging times? Keep following after truth. Keep following after truth in the midst of the world’s storm. Keep following after truth in the midst of our country’s storm. Keep following after truth in the midst of your own storm. Truth is...
Can We Talk About Jesus More?
Can we talk about Jesus more and not so much about the election? Don’t get me wrong, talking about politics in this republic of ours is important, vital even. We need to do it plenty to make sure we get it right. But it never should take precedent over talking about...
A Prayer of Hope For Our Nation
“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Col 1:16). The following prayer reflects my thoughts and relentless...
The Home Yet to Come
“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come” (Heb 13:14). When in the middle of uncomfortable surroundings, like a doctor’s waiting room, or the crush of an amusement park line, or any over-peopled place, sometimes I say...
This is Humility
“I’m humble and proud of it.” While we might not be dense enough to say so out loud, who among us hasn’t at least acted out these words? I’ve heard the word humility defined as the act or posture of lowering oneself in relation to others. But I like this definition I...
How to Improve Your Relationships in One Godward Step
“We go off in search of what has from all eternity sought and found us...fishing for minnows while standing on a whale.” - Martin Laird, Into the Silent Land You see, what worries me is that if I go through all these efforts to read good books and seek out wise...
Six Extraordinary Things
There are six extraordinary things I want to write and pray about today. I am aware that each holds truths so beautiful that if I would take them into my heart and nurture them daily, my life would never be the same. 1. My sheep hear my voice. (Yes Jesus, I do...
Time to Get a Move On
If you believe in the protocol of political correctness, do not read on—I say ugly things. And if you find an overload of metaphors hitting you square in the face to be an unpleasant experience, do not read on—there are gobs of them. And if you ignore both warnings...
A Wandering Path to Real Living
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). I spent the first part of my life in devout introspection, seeking a rest for my restless soul, trying like crazy to figure out why I was here—here, as opposed to not existing at...
The Art of a Good Talk
“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (Prov 18:2). “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jer 33:3). Silence in the presence of others is sweet salve to the soul. It is...
Life’s Roads
Introspective times, these quarantine days. Earlier, I was walking along the shore of Tampa Bay and one of its seagulls flew up to me and said, “call Ma, call Ma.” Though, on second thought, perhaps it was saying, “caw-maw, caw-maw.” Whichever, he got me thinking. But...
Our Vocations of Faith
Many jobs hang in the balance in these trying times. We may think the Coronavirus has knocked us off our vocational pursuits, but that would not be so… I tell the story of my journey of faith from five years old to mid-adulthood—when I said “I do” to Jesus—in my book,...
A Patriotic and Eternal View on the Coronavirus
I have my opinion on the statistics, the data, and what all this means; I have my opinion on the media and whether we can trust what they are saying—all the media, not just certain ones, all of them. And smack in the middle of my opinions is this one which comes from...
Child-like Prayers
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Mt 6:7). There is a type of educated, well-meaning Christian man who has worked hard to learn many things theological. He knows his Bible and can...
Waiting Usefully For God
I would like to not finish this commentary for the good reason that the Lord has returned to take me back to Heaven. We shall see. For now, I mostly live on the restless side of anticipation for His appearance; and on my tougher days, I all but demand it. I routinely...
Perfect Timing Every time
“Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails” (Prov 19:21). A rude driver cut me off and it cost me the green light. Fuming mad was I. Five hours later I spotted a neighbor whom I knew only casually. He was about to walk into his...
Bible Study For Forgetful Types
“I don’t suppose I’ll ever forget ol’ what’s his name.” So goes the well-traveled quip—said during Vaudeville days for sure, and maybe even said much earlier by one of eight remaining humans who floated on the water in an ark. The quip bears much truth when it comes...
The Gift of the Authentic Good
“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe….for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:22-24). I am thankful this...
With Hope Through Storms
“Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mark 10:9); “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm (147:3). When I was twenty-one I found the girl of my dreams—the one I wanted to be married to for the rest of my life. When I was...
The Spark to Wonder About Ordinary Things
“And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying…” (Lk 5:26a) [To be continued]. Outward life—with all its shapes and varieties of people and places and creatures and circumstances—has always interested me. It is a fine blessing...
A Tiny Tantrum Toward TV
“Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” (Ps 119:37). Do you suppose there will be television in Heaven? Doesn’t seem like it. Could watching TV for hours on end be a silent protest against God? I ask because I do this more than...
Jesus All the Way
Some time ago, the older brother of my good friend was out of fight and approaching death at the hands of terminal cancer. On one of his final visits, after watching his brother suffer much, my friend leaned in to ask him how he was doing. His brother’s faint response...
I Am Broccoli
The times I’ve talked with a dog owner and happened to ask about their dog, “Is that a boy or a girl?” I’ve never heard the reply, “Well, they haven’t decided yet.” Other things I’ve never heard from dog owners about their dogs are, “He’s a Libra” or “I think he’s...
Deep Down We Know
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer 29:11). We insist we were meant to be a world-famous scientist who cures some deadly disease. And yet, somehow, here we are...
Humility Becomes Me
My heavens, I aspire to a high brand of humility. However, every time I embellish my childhood athletic accomplishments—Captain of the defense, Suniland Sharks, age 12, thank you very much—into something more, I’m afraid I feed a lifelong pattern that is hard to...
Goodbye Humans
Such bad luck. We have this amazing planet where myriad creatures evolved for no particularly good reason out of nearly nothing. Until, unfortunately, we selfish human beings were the resultant beneficiaries of these blinded forces, all but ensuring the destruction of...
These Storms
“He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of all the black sheep” (Is 53:12; Msg). You may not know this, but I am at a lowish point, and it has lasted many a day. I appreciate your patience during my storm. I’m sure you’ve suffered them...
I Hereby Don’t Resolve
There’s an expression I once heard—or maybe I made it up, I can’t recall—that goes: Resolutions are made to be broken because they rely on me. Prayers are made to be answered because they rely on God. I suppose I’ve broken most New Years’ resolutions I ever made for...
My Word!
“Nor should there be obscenity…” (Ephesians 5:4). Look, I’m no prude. I can cuss with the best of them, quite inventively in fact; always could turn a phrase vile and crude going all the way back to my preadolescent days; still keep up a thriving practice in my head;...
World of the Free to Choose
This is my version of a Christmas message: I get it. If I lived in a region of melting pot religions like they do in India (Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, and others), where I’m not consistently getting reinforcement for what I believe about my own Christian...
2018 Year-End Update
To All, Time marches on toward the inevitable return of Jesus. We are yet another year closer to that anticipated day! Throughout this past year, many exciting things have happened at Encourage to Faith Ministries. I am grateful. Nevertheless, to God’s children, here...
An Open Letter to My Father for Thanksgiving
The following was first published five years ago. It has been slightly modified to fit the current holiday season… Holidays are intended to be joyful—a time of peace, reflection, and above all, savoring relationships. However, far too often, and after years of...
The Morning Routine
I got up and got out all of my important things one recent, sunshiny dawn—Bible, prayer list, devotional, glasses so I could read any of the aforementioned—preparing to start my day like many others, with God, immersing myself in the water of life (Jn 4:14)....
Moving Up the Line
As I approached another “it-can’t-already-be-my-birthday” birthday, my son asked me if I felt old. A simple yes or no wouldn’t do. Here is what I said: In certain circumstances, if I were to be standing, say, fourth in a line of a thousand people at some particular...
This is Repentance (3rd in a Series on the Practical Side of Things)
Repentance: turning from sin with contrition to God. Most times when God shows me another of my sins, I throw a fit in one of its various forms—denial that it happened, doubling down, arguing with God that it’s not a sin at all. Sooner or later, after I’ve come to the...
The Rock
I had a dream when I was a boy that I found a million dollars under a big rock while walking to school. I decided to leave it there until I returned home later that day. (Don’t judge me; it was a dream!) After school, I rushed back the way I had come, but couldn’t...
A Place I’m Passing Through
“For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). I love a long walk through the trails and fields by my home. Sore feet and a tolerable ivy rash are the price I pay. Well worth it. The other day, though, I...
This is Salvation (2nd in a Series on the Practical Side of Things)
Salvation: deliverance from sin and its consequences brought about by faith in Jesus Christ. I heard this quote from a popular radio host whom I like: “If God doesn’t send Hitler to Hell, then I have no interest in such a God.” Sounds righteous enough. Only problem...
This is Sanctification (1st in a Series on the Practical Side of Things)
It’s one thing to know a theological answer to get a passing grade in seminary, another to be able to work with that answer, turning head knowledge into life-changing reality, working out the path for life out of what God wants in all those theological words from you and me…
A Burst of Spontaneous Gratitude
How is it that the tiny nation of Israel (not quite the size of New Hampshire) is the ground-zero religious and political firestorm of the world? How does it endure even though it is the only free market, democratic nation in a sea of more than a dozen other nations who by-and-large would like to see it annihilated? What is so important about it that men…
Human Life is Different
I’m all for stewardship of the good Earth and valuing all forms of life and all that other do-gooder planetary stuff. It’s the misguided attitude that all forms of life are equally precious that I’m not for. The attitude doesn’t hold up in practice and leads to dire outcomes.
Every Moment He Provides
(You might know I have a philosophical penchant.) The good old days seem so good to me, not so much because they were simpler (simpler, I say, not easier), nor because they were lived against a superior moral backdrop (though that case could be made), but because as...
Fool Me Once
Contrary to increasingly popular rumor, and as many of the founding fathers of science knew (see Galileo, Newton, et al.), the reading and application of the Bible in its proper context doesn’t repel science; it propels it… I was taught a bunch of evolutionary...
Music to His Ears
I am in vocational ministry, therefore I pray well. I realize that does not necessarily follow. What it does do, however, is reflect my early-on notion about the prayer mastery of all those other ministry mortals out there; that is, before I joined their ranks and...
Fyodor, He of Clever Thoughts
I am thoroughly enjoying rereading The Brothers Karamazov, the masterpiece by Fyodor Dostoevsky. In it he writes, “The world says: ‘You have needs—satisfy them. You have as much right as the rich and the mighty. Don't hesitate to satisfy your needs; indeed, expand...
The Bright Side
“When I have found myself at the bottom of a deep, dark well and looked up, my eyes were filled with light.” -James M. Houston, Joyful Exiles I like people. They please and disappoint me. I’m sure I do the same to them. Life follows a challenging pattern: sighs of...
The Time of the Signs (Conclusion)
“As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’” (Mt 24:3) I do not purport to know the day or hour Jesus will return...
The Time of the Signs (Part 2)
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Pet 3:10). Let us backtrack: Soon after Eden...
The Time of the Signs (Part 1)
“Then He told them a parable: ‘Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near’” (Luke...
The Sound of Tranquility
Friends, I’m sharing this excerpt from Ken Boa’s book, Life in the Presence of God. It is compelling. “Andrew Sullivan, a contemporary commentator, recently captured the state of our current situation in a New York Magazine article about the slower pace of life we've...
The Greatest Christmas Present
The greatest Christmas present ever conceived? That's easy: Jesus was sent to be born in the flesh, to live a sinless life, to die on the cross for our sins, so that we might be saved. And this morning, as I read Ephesians 2:8-9, I am reminded that you and I can’t do...
Our Greatest Comfort
Many scoff at the idea that there could be a God since there is so much suffering in the world. They miss that only the existence of God can make sense of the suffering to start. An ant doesn’t question suffering in its life (and if you think it does, this is not the...
A Good Exercise
I cannot sleep. I am thankful for many things—just so you know—but this night I have chosen to lie here and rehearse a compendium of gripes. Every. Bad. Thing. Somehow that seems to fit my mood and it goes as follows: I don’t like getting rained on. Or the way I...
The Beauty of the Clouds
Several times this past summer I revived a cherished pastime from childhood—cloud watching. Sweet memories, those lingering afternoons of youth spent staring up at the beautiful drifting clouds, all the while discovering untold shapes of anything imaginable. One day...
Thought Experiment (Number 7)
I read Exodus 20:4-5—“You shall not make for yourself an idol…You shall not worship them or serve them…”—and the following, admittedly imperfect, thought experiment came to mind: Assuming I was the only man on Earth and God did not exist, would I write out a daily...
Surrendering My Agenda
I acted the fool out in traffic this morning and now lecture myself over my lack of self-control. Yesterday the mower wouldn’t start which meant my 1-hour project became half a day. My wife got to hear my colorful language. Last week I was at the grocery and grumbled...
A Healthier Evaluation
As I sat down just now, I thought I wanted to write a different, more theological article. However, my heart wasn’t in it. It just wouldn’t flow. Instead, the following sequence of thoughts came to mind: I seem so ill-equipped for this task. I wish I were more...
Thankful, My Soul
Today, fellow beloved, I can say this much: Life is curious. It is as much a struggle as it is beautiful. It is also charming, joyful, playful, and robust. It is full, is it not? And through it all, we are here in the demands of the present yet living for eternity;...
How Matters Really Stand
C.S. Lewis once wrote, “My feeling about people in whose conversion I have been allowed to play a part is always mixed with awe and even fear: such as a boy might feel on first being allowed to fire a rifle. The disproportion between his puny finger on the trigger and...
Exceedingly Sweet
When it comes to our time in Heaven, I love to rove through fanciful possibilities of the sweet joys awaiting the followers of Jesus. Recently, I contemplated a somewhat unorthodox possibility that involved the fusion of math and imagination. Consider this…
God is in the Silence
I’m excited to be writing my second book! I’ll be able to share more soon. But for now, in order to have time to complete the task, I will be dialing back my blogging frequency to once a month instead of every week. Even so, I will still continue to be available to serve you through encouragement, prayer, and—as always—to help point you to God.
Designed for Great Purpose
Many have tried to muster up the effort to work for Christ in order to prove their usefulness to Him. They believe that their identity as Christians is forged and sharpened through their great efforts to accomplish “godly” goals. I used to believe that too. I was wrong…
A Morning Transformation
Why do I have to go to work today of all days? I’ve got a thousand other things going on, plus or minus. Not to mention, work has become drudgery! My boss is a pistol—on his good days. I’m bored silly—on my good days. What is the point of this job when you get right down to it? And while I’m in full-gripe mode…
Life Worth Living
It’s not uncommon to hear these days, “I wouldn’t want to bring kids into this crazy world.” I’m tempted to agree. After all, it’s such an immoral, uncertain, fill in the blank, place. But I don’t agree.
This crazy world is nothing new…
A Good Surrender
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” -Rom 12:1
The following is the latter half of a story. The first half I leave to your imagination, which is rather lazy of me, don’t you think?
On Getting Older
At some point, getting older was no longer fun. Ten was that point for me. I am many times that now. Here is an accurate depiction of my peer group…
The Pursuing Silence
I want peace—soul-soothing peace. Yet I was born into the stretched-out plains of noise.
I’ve learned with experience that when I feel the hubbub taking me away from God, it’s time to retreat from the whirring crowds and sink into the private creases of life so I can hear Him more. Knowing and doing are two different things.