Posts by Chip Ingram
Jonathan and David – A Biblical Model for Authentic Relationships
Ever feel like you’re going through life and you see the people all around you laughing and connecting, yet you feel as if there’s an invisible bubblearound you? In Robert Putman’s book Bowling Alone, he calls loneliness the new American epidemic. Never in the history of the world have people been able to communicate so…
Read MoreThe Real Reason Why We Have Misplaced Priorities
Have you ever started prioritizing your time, relationships, and money in a God-honoring way, only to have those new priorities begin to slip away years,months, and even weeks later? For many of us, our priorities seem to have a way of becoming less and less important over a period of time. So what is it…
Read MoreHow Do You Know if You’re Filled with the Holy Spirit?
When I was in college, I had only been a Christian for two years when a lady walked up to me one day and asked, “Are you ‘Spirit-filled’?” At the time, I had no idea what that meant but I soon discovered if a Christian asks you that question, they might be asking you four…
Read MoreDo You Know Who Jesus Really Is?
In the religious world today, many people seem to be asking, who is Jesus? Was he really a man, or just a myth? Was he just a religious guru, or God revealed in the flesh? There also seems to be as many opinions about Jesus as there are questions. All you have to do is…
Read MoreWhat’s Heaven Really Like?
Humankind has been fascinated with the concept of Heaven for centuries. In every culture, people have a vivid idea of what they think the afterlife isgoing to be like. And today, it’s a very hot topic. Just go to any bookstore and you’ll see hundreds of books about Heaven and about people’s experiencesin Heaven. But…
Read MoreWhat’s the Role of a Man in the Home?
When I was in high school, I began dating a girl. One day, I went over to her house to meet her mother and I immediately noticed a picture of man in uniform. I asked them, “Is that your dad?” My girlfriend nodded. “Is he home right now?” “No,” she replied. “He’s in Vietnam and…
Read MoreGod’s Looking for Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things
One of the greatest lines in the entire Bible was a response to a teenage girl. When the angel Gabriel told Mary that she’d be pregnant and give birth tothe Son of God, she asked him how that would even be possible because she was a virgin and not yet married. Then the angel responded…
Read MoreThe Secret to Happiness
Is there one thing in your life about which you think, “If God could give me this, then I’d be happy”? For some of us, it’s a mate, a job,or good health. For others, it’s money, a house or a restored relationship. But deep down, we all believe that if we could just get this one…
Read MoreYou Love God … But Do You Trust Him?
The most difficult question of the Christian life is: “If God really loves me, how can He let ‘this’ happen to me?” “This” for some of us might bea divorce, the death of a child, or a loved who gets cancer. I once knew a high school student whose friend died in a car accident.…
Read MoreWhat is God’s View of Abortion?
Regardless of where you find yourself landing on the issue of abortion, it’s one of the most pivotal and most volatile issues in America today. And nolonger is it just an issue “out there.” We now know that 65 percent of women who have abortions self-identify as Christians. Chances are that in the next few…
Read MoreWhy We Hurt Others with Our Words
Nothing is more painful than when someone says something about you that is blatantly untrue.
Read MoreWhy Developing Our Spiritual Gifts Is So Important
For many Christians, there’s a lot of mystery and confusion that surrounds the spiritual gifts. Most of us have taken at least one spiritual gifts inventory, read books about spiritual gifts, and even heard sermons on the subject, yet we haven’t actually developed our gifts. Too often, we mistakenly think that to understand our spiritual…
Read MoreWhat Is True Spirituality?
It seems everyone has a different explanation about what God is like and what it means to be “spiritual.” We live in a world of competing gods, religious systems, and hundreds of years of traditions. So, what is true spirituality? In this article, we’ll uncover Paul’s two descriptions of transformative faith.
Read MoreHow to Speak Life to Those We Love
Are you or someone you know facing a difficult situation and in desperate need of a spiritual “shot in the arm”? Most of us have been discouraged and depressed at some point in our lives, yet most of us don’t know how to bring hope to the people in our life that we care about…
Read MoreDo You Struggle with Believing that God Loves You?
In your heart of hearts, do you believe that God loves you? Do you find it difficult to fathom that the God of the universe has positive thoughts toward you moment by moment, and every day? If you do, you’re not alone. Many of us struggle with conceptualizing the enduring, sacrificial, infinite, and unconditional love…
Read MoreWhy Does God Have Rules about Sex?
One year for Christmas, I gave bikes to my little twin boys. For months I saved money so that I could bless them with these gifts. After they unwrapped the presents on Christmas morning, I took them outside so they could learn how to ride for the first time. They were so excited! And…
Read MoreThe Truth about Sex
Never in the history of the world has a culture shifted its values concerning sexuality as rapidly or drastically as it has in America in the last 50 years. In the 1950s, only 5 percent of high school girls and 10 percent of high school boys were sexually active. Fast-forward to today and it’s…
Read MoreAre You in Step with the Holy Spirit?
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 goal of the Holy Spirit in our lives. According to Scripture, the Holy Spirit’s primary…
Read MoreWhy We Believe the Bible Is God’s Word
When I was 18 years old, I read the Bible for the first time. Shortly after, I came to know Christ and began to spend time in the Bible every day so I could grow spiritually and get connected to Him. I never thought to question the Bible until later in college when I had…
Read MoreWhy Our View of Heaven Matters
In the past month, how often have you thought about Heaven? How about in the past week? If you’re like most Christians, it’s been a while since you’ve thought about Heaven, much less looked forward to going there. Why? Most of us don’t know what Heaven is really like. And we think we can’t possibly…
Read MoreHow to Overcome Temptations in the Midst of Life’s Greatest Difficulties
Are you or someone you know going through a difficult time? Perhaps it’s cancer, the loss of a relationship, or a wayward child. Regardless of the type of hurt, pain, or struggles, we all experience difficulties in this life. So if you’re not in one now, you will be at some point. All of us…
Read MoreAre Your Priorities in Balance?
One of the biggest struggles I have in my life is balancing everything that I have going on. There are obligations in ministry and work, with my spouse, family, and church, and even my health. And the list goes on and on. With so many things in our lives competing for attention, sometimes it feels impossible to keep priorities in balance.
Read MoreHow to Unleash God’s Power of Breakthrough in Your Life
Are you facing a difficult or even an impossible situation right now? Perhaps you’re facing a major barrier and you feel stuck. It could be a relationship, an addiction, a lie you believe, a painful event, or a difficult work environment. Regardless of what it is, you desperately need God to dramatically intervene in your…
Read MoreHeaven – It’s Not What You Think
My Dad came to Christ in his 50s, but as he was entering the last days of his life, he confided to me, “I’m afraid to die. I know I have a relationship with God and my sins are forgiven, but when I think of heaven all I see is a blank picture.” And I…
Read MoreHow to Make Changes in Your Life That Last
Most of us want to change for the better. We want to be better parents, better spouses, and better friends. We want to look and feel better about ourselves. This desire for change is inherent in our hearts. God made us this way. So why is it that lasting change is so difficult? Why do…
Read MoreWhy the Resurrection Is Important
As Easter approaches, I’d like to challenge you with a question: What does the resurrection of Jesus mean to you? Is it central to your faith? Perhaps you or someone you know claim to be a Christian, but you’re not quite sure about the evidence for the resurrection – could it be fact or could…
Read MoreThe Holy Spirit – Person or Force?
“Remember, the Force will be with you… always.” For those of you who may not remember, this popular quote is from the movie Star Wars. Its creator, George Lucas, went on to produce several more of these creative and exciting movies, which have also promoted the religion of Zen Buddhism for the past thirty years.…
Read MoreHow To Know If You’re a Generous Person
If I asked the question, “Do you consider yourself to be a generous person? Yes or no?” most of us would say, “Yes.” If I asked, “Why?” many of us would probably justify our responses by explaining that we give what we can to people in need, or we might proudly admit to faithfully tithing…
Read MoreThe Difference Between Love and Sex
Are you tired of relationships that don’t work? Do you long to find that special person you can really connect with and have that sexual intimacy you’ve always dreamed about? It is possible! God has a plan for relationships and believe it or not, He even has a plan for sexual intimacy. The key to…
Read MoreHow to Overcome Loneliness and Isolation
Have you ever been surrounded by people, yet you felt left out, different, like something was wrong with you? You know, that uncomfortable feeling you might get when you walk into a room full of people and you don’t know a single person but you really wish you did? Loneliness. It’s a universal feeling. At…
Read MoreA Mindset of Greatness
Did you know that just five minutes a day of negative thinking could have a significant impact on your well-being? Dr. Jack Haskins, a professor at the University of Tennessee, conducted a 12-year study on media’s effect on how people think. In the study, a group of radio listeners were exposed to five minutes of…
Read MoreGod’s Blueprint for a Great Marriage
The American family is crumbling before our eyes. The family portrait we once knew as husband, wife and children now makes up less than 25% of all the marriages in our country. Along with this, 60% of all marriages end in divorce and more than 40% of Americans think marriage is obsolete. This has left…
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