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On the cross Jesus let go of everything and abandoned all outcomes to the Father. To help him do this, he prayed a line from Psalm 31:5 to his Abba: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). This is a prayer of submission to God that expresses how Jesus lived everyday of…
We think our heart is our feelings. So we contrast our head and heart to differentiate thinking and feeling. But in the Biblical understanding our heart is our will, our capacity for choice, the center of our being that is our orientation for life. Our heart is our spirit that animates our personality; it is…
As a psychologist, my job is to get inside people’s heads and understand what it’s like to live in there. I can tell you that for many people it’s very stressful inside their minds! Understanding the way we think and what we really believe is important work because, as Dallas Willard teaches, “We live at…
In Jerusalem I visited the site where the temple used to be and I walked the same south entry steps that Jesus walked on. As I climbed I noticed that the steps were irregular – they varied in length, some being long and others being short. I learned that this was done on purpose in order…
I was coming down the stairs this morning with my arms full and heading out to an appointment that I was going to be late for, when I spilled my cup full of cereal all down the stairs and across the entry! This is a parable… Hurried & Overwhelmed Pastors Most pastors and leaders that…
When you experience criticism are you defensive? Do you get angry? Maybe you internalize your anger and become discouraged? Many pastors and caregivers, and others I talk to have a hard time responding to criticism because they take it inside and feel bad or they protect themselves by shutting down emotionally, which leaves them isolated…
Life is precious and brief. How can we “redeem the time” before our days on earth slip away? (Ephesians 5:16). The ancient devotional masters were helped to live each day for Christ by meditating on their dead body being put into a tomb. Probably you haven’t done that before! Most of us today try not…
A few months ago David, my 19-year old son, asked me to run a triathlon with him, which is a race in which you swim, bike, and run in that order. I immediately said yes because I wanted to share this experience with him and because I like exercise. I was in good shape from…
What refreshment awaits you! What joy! All we have to do is to pause and appreciate Christ in our midst as we do whatever we’re doing – like right now! Psalm 73 is a great help along these lines. This prayer of Asaph is a deep well that offers us Living Water for our thirsty souls.…
Are you appreciating God as your Abba? Do you feel safe and encouraged in the love of your Heavenly Father? You may struggle to trust God as your Abba if you have some unhealed hurts from childhood, particularly your relationship (or lack of it) with your father. Through praying in Jesus’ name you can begin…