Is there anything harder than relationships? Marriage brings countless opportunities for strife and dissension; same with raising kids. What about your unresolved issues with parents or old friends? Or co-workers and neighbors? Disagreements and friction are a given with we’re living alongside others, and yet God tells us to live peacefully with others.
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Fear and anxiety can take on many different forms, but God wants to provide His unchanging peace to every one of us who struggles. In this article, I’ll share the 4 kinds of prayer that will lead you to experience peace in your life.
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Country by country, state by state, town by town, block by block—the world is experiencing a pandemic that just a few months ago was an obscure news headline. If you’re feeling some anxiety and struggling to find peace, it’s certainly…
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Are you content with what you have in your life? For many of us, this is a difficult question to answer “yes.” We are living in a culture where every commercial and every magazine and every advertisement tells us we need something more or better….
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What is the greatest fear you’re facing right now? What gets your stomach in knots? When you’re driving in your car and everything is quiet and your mind drifts, what makes your heart rate increase and you suddenly realize you’re…
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Did you know that as a believer in Christ you possess all the hope you need in order to get through this life? It’s a hope that’s based on absolute certainty that Christ is coming back and that He has prepared a place for all genuine followers of Christ. It’s a…
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My wife Theresa is always shopping. Whenever we’re hanging out around downtown Los Gatos, CA, or if we get away for a little weekend to Atlanta, GA, she is always shopping. But she’s not shopping for herself, she’s actually shopping for our grandkids. It seems like there is a birthday happening every third day in our family. So, wherever we…
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Are you struggling with feelings that are resentful and bitter against someone? Do you have unresolved conflict in a relationship with another believer, an in-law, or a brother or sister? Maybe it’s someone you did business with. Maybe you were in a small group with them. It…
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When we find our lives crashing down around us, how do we develop the kind of hope that gives us the strength not to give up, not to give in, and not blame God? Is it possible to get an…
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We all have expectations. But what about when it comes to God? For some of us who are married, we might think, “If I love Jesus, then my marriage is going be great!” For those of us who are single,…
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Ever have one of “those days” when everything just seems to be going wrong? You get up in the morning still tired from a less-than-perfect-night’s sleep and you turn on the news only to hear one catastrophe after another. You’re…
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There are two different paths to achieve happiness in this life. Path number one is the option we are faced with every day. We might call it “the world’s way.” It’s not new. It was around a thousand years ago,…
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We all long for inner peace, for what the Bible describes as shalom. It’s a Hebrew term that suggests many wonderful things: (1) wholeness, whether mental, emotional, or physical; (2) work that fulfills, in line with how you were created; (3) righteous victory over opponents; and (4) harmony in relationships. God is our source of shalom. He wants to heal your relational conflict. We’ll explain how in this article.
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We have a hundred percent control of our perspective, in every circumstance, no matter how difficult. This gives us the power to actually live above our circumstances.
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In the aftermath of this year’s historic presidential election, many of us are left feeling anxious, sad, and wondering about our future. What kind of impact will our new president have on our country — and world? And, will our nation be able to move past the division caused by this election and move forward in unity?
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Have you ever wondered whatever happened to right and wrong? I believe the real question behind what is right and what is wrong is: “What is true?” If you can’t define what’s true, then you can’t determine the difference between…
Read » If you could describe in one word, the most painful, difficult, pressure-filled, negative experience that you’re facing right now in your life, what would it be? It’s that thing that bothers you the most and occupies your thoughts most of…
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Imagine this: one Christian reaches one person for Jesus over the course of six months, and then that cycle continues with each believer reaching another person for Christ every six months — in about 35 years we could reach the entire population of the earth with the gospel! But this is only possible if the church pivots from an “addition” method of evangelism and instead models Jesus’ method of spiritual multiplication.
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In our small-minded human-nature economy, we think that freedom means going our own way. In fact, freedom is found in laying our lives down in the service of God, the One who made us, who knows us, and who has welcomed us into fellowship with Him. It is in this state of full surrender that the longing to obey rises up in us.
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Self-worth is, at times, a struggle for every one of us. Were you raised in a healthy, Christian family who encouraged you to seek your identity in Christ? Or were you raised in a way that connected your identity to external markers? No matter your upbringing, there are times when we all grab the world’s measuring stick and use it to gauge our self-worth. It’s time to learn to see yourself through the eyes of your Creator.
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The enemy has creative ways of discouraging us during difficult times. Sometimes we stop having hope; other times we begin to see life as unfair and our circumstances as unjust. Or, other times, we’re just stuck in our emotions and pain. God knows your pain and has compassion for what we endure as sojourners on the earth. In His lovingkindness, He gives us encouragement for the journey.
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What could make a man who went from an athlete on the football field to a paraplegic in a wheelchair say, “If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing”? In response to crisis and tragedy, he learned to shift his questions from those of a victim to those of an overcomer.
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BONUS: Quick access to register for Chip’s Daily Discipleship Challenge. Get equipped to face difficulties and overcome tragedy with God’s wisdom and perspective. How have hard times changed you? Have the difficult circumstances that you’ve faced made you stronger or…
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Being aware of our differences allows us to acknowledge, understand, and appreciate them. What a great opportunity to become an agent of God’s grace! But it’s not always that simple, right? That’s why I’m going to share the action plan I’ve seen transform relationships, my marriage included.
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Do you dream of living free from the vices that separate you from God? Or have you given up and started to assume that’s just how life is going to be and you’re powerless to fight? There’s a battle being fought for the throne of your heart. Will you give the “win” to false gods or the one, true God?
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It’s easy to give ourselves a pass on the commandments that forbid idol worship. In our culture, we don’t carve images to be served and most of us never physically bow to anything. And yet, if we explore what idol worship means, we’d be surprised by its pervasiveness in our everyday lives.
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God’s highest and best is achieved and accomplished in us when we choose to live a balanced life with healthy priorities. The question is: how do we achieve that in the current era of chronic busyness when our time is filled with good and necessary things?
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When it comes to my spiritual walk, I have found what keeps me motivated day in and day out, for decades on end. No practice has impacted my faith more than spending time with God. To pass along the tricks I’ve used to cement this habit into my life, I’ve broken it down into five simple prayers that reflect powerful principles I’d like to share with you.
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I used to think Jesus was unknowable, like a politician or a rock star. And then I encountered Him in a new way. Let’s ask four common questions and get to know Jesus the way we’d get to know a new friend, asking questions that uncover their story. It’s through these answers that we’ll be able to piece together the truth, answering “Who is Jesus?”
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In the New Testament, shepherding was often used to illustrate Jesus and His followers. The similarities are numerous, but there is one thing in particular that reveals how the Good Shepherd really feels about His sheep and how that relates to God’s perspective of us.
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Did you know that YOU are the single biggest influence on the lives and actions and behaviors of your kids? If you haven’t been parenting that way, it’s not too late to change direction. There is a way to achieve your dream of raising compassionate, character-filled kids, and you don’t need to be an expert to be the hero your kids need.
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As married couples, a lot of us are exhausted and out of ideas to create spiritual intimacy in our relationship. It might feel too vulnerable to seek God together, or you might be in a season where you aren’t interested in any kind of intimacy. Also, many of us have gotten to the point where we’ve resigned ourselves to going through the motions. God designed marriage to be so much more!
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Though love is a universal need, there’s also a tragic disconnect between those who are starved for love and yet haven’t received it. Some people have no idea God even cares for them. Others are aware and have drunk from the ocean of His love.
Still others can see the sparkling, thirst-quenching water and yet they choose not to drink. There’s a huge set of people who’ve tasted the water and then get distracted and live their own way, finding water substitutes.
Your early experiences, your family of origin issues, and your religious training (or lack thereof) have left you with a picture of God in your mind. The problem is that our view of Him is distorted, and that impacts every single decision you make in life. Have you ever considered to what extent? How would your life change if your view of God was clear and true?
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Which strongholds in your life have been broken? How are you experiencing freedom in Christ today? Let’s explore how societal freedoms have come from God’s principles. To jump to the 2 practical ways to cultivate the fruit that’s found in…
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Be encouraged today when you reflect on these 10 reminders from the Bible to pray faithfully, simply and confidently. We can approach God confidently. God wants to refine us through confession. Jesus wants us to remain in Him. Give thanks…
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The Scriptures reveal the spiritual warfare that’s occurring under our noses, both in obvious and subtle ways. In this article, we’ll spotlight 12 Bible verses you can hold on to for recognizing and resisting the Enemy’s plans. Because for every person on the planet — and for this planet itself — there are two competing agendas: life and death.
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Let’s talk about grace. 4 events that explain God’s grace for the prodigal sons: Something valuable was lost. An intensive search ensues. Something lost was found. An incredible celebration occurs. Do you secretly wonder how God feels about you?…
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Check out our 6-session Daily Discipleship course, Navigating Life With Adult Children with Dr. Jim Burns and Chip Ingram. Is your parenting role changing? Find answers to 5 pressing questions being asked by parents with adult children. Q1: Parenting my…
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BONUS: Access the entire Daily Discipleship Video Series Would you use the word “transformed” to describe your faith? Embrace these 5 powerful truths and become fully equipped to supernaturally transform your spiritual life: Know your privileged place in the story…
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Most parents I talk to tell me they lost sleep worrying about their kids when they were younger. But it’s surprised me to discover how often many parents of adult children tell me the same thing. I often hear statements…
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In our culture, being a leader is prized. Being labeled a follower is a downer. But think about it. If you’re honest with yourself, you have to admit that we’re all followers! Everybody follows something or someone. Whether intentionally or…
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Have you ever been betrayed? When I was in college, I broke up with my girlfriend of two years because it became clear she didn’t want the same committed walk with God that I did. I was heartbroken about it…
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Do you love hero movies? Franchises like Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings are insanely popular all over the world. It’s interesting how ancient knight-like warriors are still powerful images in our modern minds. Think of Obi-Wan Kenobi…
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When we wake up in the morning these days, there is little doubt we will be bombarded with evil in our world. Mass shootings, terrorist attacks, abductions, intentional fires, human trafficking, abortion laws loosened. Everywhere we turn, it seems evil…
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God had a dream for me and my family that would require a radical faith. He had a son for us on the other side of the world. The question was would we choose God’s dream for our family? Would…
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Is there an area in your life that you really want to change, and you know God wants to change, but you feel stuck? Perhaps it is a critical attitude you can’t get rid of or an addiction you can’t shake….
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What do you think God thinks about what you’re doing with your life? Does it match up with what you think He wants from you? That’s a scary question for a lot of people, which is probably why the NBC…
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“Don’t worry! Think positive! If you just believe everything is going to be okay, it will be.” That’s the message we sometimes hear from today’s self-help experts. But it’s hard to ignore that the world around us is struggling. Terrorism…
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It was 3:29 a.m. and I was wide-awake. The interruption from my deep and wonderful sleep began at about 2:58 a.m. Normally when this happens, I am bombarded by a long list of to-dos, a concern about a relationship, a…
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If you’re a single parent or a parent in a blended family, you represent the majority of families in America. Now, only one out of four families is what we’d call a “traditional family” – a mom and dad with…
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It’s a fallen world. This means that the question isn’t, “Will we go through difficult times?” The right questions is, “How will we go through them?” Will we go through our crisis alone? Will we act like everything is okay? Will we…
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Some of the greatest joys you will ever experience during your time on this planet will be in a relationship. Yet some of the greatest sorrows and the greatest pain you will ever experience in your life will also be…
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If we look at the coming of Jesus Christ as a rescue operation (and who can deny that humanity needs rescuing?), who did God choose for His special ops team? That may seem like an odd perspective, but it illustrates…
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When you think of your mother or those who’ve made a motherly investment in your life, what are the lessons you have learned? Our team took time this week to share their answers.
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When the unexpected is added to the challenges of the everyday, it can seem overwhelming. A cancer diagnosis … a job loss … a natural disaster. When circumstances seem out of our control, that’s when fear, anxiety, and worry can begin to consume us. So how can we find peace in the midst of it all?
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Check the news on any morning and you’ll see stories of bad things happening to good people — or good things happening to bad people. Life is not fair! The age-old question is, “If God created life and life is unfair, then, is God fair?”
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Theologians teach that God’s wisdom takes the long view. The very long view! It is God bringing about the best possible ends, by the best possible means, for the most possible people, for the longest possible time.
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You might be relieved to know that everyone– regardless of how godly they are, or how well they know God – has times of doubt. There is no shame in this. In fact, some of the strongest disciples of Jesus struggled with doubts.
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Surely, love is more than a positive, emotional connection or feeling.
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What do you long for? What would give you a sense of satisfaction right now? Jesus promises that fulfillment. But we have to believe Him and follow His instructions to receive it.
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When we make job decisions apart from God, we’re saying we know more than God. We’re saying we think things like the economy, our health, the company’s mission and so on are to stay the same. We’re saying we’re the exceptions – we’re not going to get sick or a family member isn’t going to have an emergency or there’s not going to be a natural disaster.
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How can we know if we’re in love? We have to first know what love is and what the types of love are.
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God has designed a plan that makes relationships deeply fulfilling and lasting and God-honoring.
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How do you see God? What do you think it really means when Scripture says God is good? And when something in your life goes wrong, will you blame God or will you trust him?
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A great quote I once heard was: “You show me your friends, and I will show you your future.” A simple fact of human nature is that we will begin to take on the attributes of the people we spend the most time with. Who we choose to follow will determine, to a large degree, the people we become.
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You know all of those commands in the Bible about helping others? It’s not a coincidence that they are written in the second person plural. That’s because we need each other. Living the Christian life can’t be done alone! We all need a word of encouragement, a word of admonishment, and comfort.
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It was 3:29 a.m. and I was wide-awake. The interruption from my deep and wonderful sleep began at about 2:58 a.m. Normally when this happens, I am bombarded by a long list of to-dos, a concern about a relationship, a…
Read »
Many of us are in dire need of a breakthrough, whether it’s in overcoming an addiction, getting past the shame and guilt from our past, or repairing a troubled relationship. Sometimes, it seems like no matter how hard we try or pray we just can’t seem to get victory in our lives. So how does breakthrough happen?
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Is it possible to have a supernatural inner peace in such a violent and uncertain world, and if so, how? You might be surprised to find that the answer hasless to do with the evil and tragedy in the world,…
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Everyone is following something or someone. Some people follow in the footsteps of their family. Some follow a philosophy of life, like the Golden Rule:“Treat others the way you want to be treated.” While others follow their own intuition, drawing…
Read » What has the power to turn normal people, who on most days are good-natured and nice to be around, into people who explode in anger or shut down emotionally? It’s the same power that can turn loving parents into neck…
Read » Do you struggle with doubt in an area of your life? Maybe you doubt your financial future or the future of our country. Or maybe you’re struggling in your marriage or with a child and you really doubt that God…
Read » Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25) As Christians, how do we know if we’re “in step” with the Holy Spirit? To answer this question, we must first understand the primary…
Read » Is your marriage, or the marriage of someone you know, in trouble? Perhaps you’ve been thinking of throwing in the towel and leaving your spouse. Maybe you’ve often said, “If only he or she would shape up and start doing this,…
Read » In my 25 years as a pastor, I’ve been through and witnessed some pretty tough experiences. I remember answering the phone in the middle of the night andfinding out someone’s teenager was in the ICU. I counseled a man whose…
Read » What comes to mind when you think about the meaning of “diabolical”? By definition, diabolical means “anything that is extremely wicked, cruel and evil.” If we were thinking about it on a global scale, most of us would probably view…
Read » Have you ever gone through a difficult period in your life when all hope seemed lost and you just wanted to give up? Maybe it was when you went through a divorce, lost your job, or buried a family member….
Read » The pursuit of true love is everywhere. We see it in magazines, TV shows and movies. Countless songs and books have written about it. So why does true love seem so hard to find and keep? Is it only intended…
Read » These days many of us live with tremendous pressure: we feel stressed out, overwhelmed, and exhausted. It’s not uncommon for our lives feel completely out of control because we’re just too busy to keep up with everything. Sound familiar? If…
Read » Do you see yourself as a difference-maker for the kingdom of God? Do you really believe that God can and will use YOU to make an impact on your world? Truth be known, most of us don’t. One of the…
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Why do two people like a husband and wife — who honestly, deeply and sincerely love one another — get tangled up in such high levels of conflict that they choose to give up on their relationship? And why do…
Read » The Three-Step Process of Forgiveness When you’ve been hurt or betrayed, do you find it difficult to forgive? Many people do. In fact, forgiveness is an issue that both Christians and non-Christians struggle with mostly because it is often…
Read » Love is a Choice Do you ever wonder what it means to really love someone? We’re bombarded today with movies and videos and romance novels that give us a false image of what it means to love. If you…
Read » Love is a Choice People who are dating or struggling in their marriage often ask the questions: “How do I know if I’m in love?” and “Is this really love?” In our culture, we’re taught (through the media,…
Read » God’s Way of Responding to Betrayal One of the most difficult things we will ever face is how we respond when we are betrayed. So how are we supposed to respond when someone betrays us by walking out on us,…
Read » How to Have an Outwardly Focused Small Group Some of the best and healthiest small groups are those that really see themselves as a microcosm of the larger church. In other words, similar to the way that the church cares…
Read » How to Build an Authentic Community in Your Small Group Many of us have probably lead or been in small groups where there wasn’t a deep connection between members for a long time, if at all. So it should come…
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