fisher of men

NO PARKING We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.2 Corinthians 10:5 My first outside sales job was in 1986. I was working for the Commercial Division of Waste Management, Inc. It was a fun job filled with tons of prospective customers because every business generates trash.  One of my prospects was The Summit in Houston. In my sales days, The Summit was the home of the Houston Rockets basketball team (now it is the home of Lakewood Church).  The Summit was a great prospect for me because they could generate tons of trash.  I became friends with the Operations Manager, Henry Thomas – the Big Hen as the players called him.  He was a super guy.&nbs...

A Prayer for Prodigals By Steve Arterburn “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” — Luke 15:31-32 In The Return of the Prodigal Son, one of Rembrandt’s most emotionally-charged paintings, you see a father and his two sons. But if you look more closely, you’ll see a tale of two prodigals.  At first glance of the oil painting, you will see the rebellious son who takes center stage.  Remember him?  He is the wayward son that demands an early inheritance, leaves home to see all that the world has to offer, and comes to his senses in a smelly pigsty. In spite of his sin, he returns home. When the younger...

  Mind Control By: Lindsay Tedder “Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” – 1 Peter 1:13 “If you can’t control what you think, you will never control what you do,” I heard her say. She was right but why did it seem so impossible? As we stood around my kitchen island, just like we do so frequently, I looked at her absolutely dumbfounded.  “How? How could I control what I think?” I silently pondered as she continued to cascade her unmistakable wisdom upon my ever-present ear. “How can I stop telling myself the lie that I am incapable? Incapable of being healthy, of living healthfully, of successfully carrying a pregnancy to term?” Incapable was th...

Wonderful Counselor is the first title referring to the Messiah, found once throughout the Bible, in Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 9:6). It was a promise of hope to Israel, amid the Assyrian invasion (around 740 BC), of the coming Savior who will deliver His people and establish His kingdom. This verse describes both humanity and divinity of Christ. The prophecy finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ and will reach its consummation at His second coming. The Hebrew word for “wonderful counselor” is pele-yoez. The first term (pele) means “a miracle, a marvel, a wonder” which indicates “something extraordinary, incomprehensible, inexplicable.” The second term (yoez) means “to advise, counsel, devise, purpose.” Both definitions combined reveal that the child will be miraculously born to become an a...

For years, when I thought about prayer, I mostly felt guilty for my lack of a robust prayer life. Reading stories of great saints praying for two hours a day or more left me with a gnawing sense of defeat. I would often resolve to pray more. But the resolves didn’t last. One day I realized that something had changed. While not exactly satisfied with my prayer life, I knew that I had one. I’m sure that I still don’t pray as much as I should. But I pray a lot more than I used to. And I’ve tried to think about why. What changed? On one level, of course, whatever prayer life I have is the fruit of God’s grace. He gets the credit. But God uses means. The Spirit’s work doesn’t bypass our thoughts, feelings, habits, and desires. No, he works in and through all these aspects of our personhood. I c...

Learning about the major and minor prophets may sound like reference to the major and minor leagues of baseball, but that’s where the similarites end. Who were these biblical prophets? God sent appointed messengers throughout history to warn and guide his people. We discover God’s first mention of a prophet in Deuteronomy 18:18-19. “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.” List of the Major and Minor Prophets Before we go more in depth, here is a list of the major and minor prophets mentioned in the Bible: The Four Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezek...

Of books and blogs on leadership, there is no end. Usually detailed within them are concrete, specific tasks or skills needed to be an effective leader. This is all well and good, but the older I get and the longer I lead, the more I become convinced that what sets the most effective leaders apart is more… … intangible. What I mean is that most leaders are versed in the basics of leadership. They don’t need a lesson on the importance of delegating, time management or vision casting. Maybe some pointed reminders to flesh out what they already know, but they understand the value of doing it and get the gist of what is involved. But the intangibles of leadership are different. They can’t really be taught. They are either there or they are not; they are either active or dormant. And three come...

Belonging to Christ means that we give sway to his Spirit, who dwells within us. The Spirit not only directs us but enables our obedience, reshaping us into “little christs,” followers who are eager to do God’s will and seize the opportunities he gives us. The more we learn to live in the Spirit, the more peace and joy we will have, and the more fruitful our lives will become. In her book Practicing Peace, Catherine Whitmire tells the story of William Dizler, a man who lived in the nineteenth century. It seems that Dizler sensed that God wanted him to use part of his lunch hour to stand near an open window and read the Bible aloud. He did it for several weeks until he suddenly felt that he didn’t need to do it any longer. Sometime later, a clergyman from a local chu...

De-Stressing the HolidaysMary Southerland Today’s Truth Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV). Friend to Friend While I am not a big fan of television, I do enjoy watching a few select home improvement shows. Chip and Joanna Gaines are my two new best friends, and the Property Brothers simply rock! A new fixer-upper show caught my eye, so I checked it out. An interior decorator and homeowner were discussing a list of changes that needed to be made in order to update the home. “First, we have to do something about those windows,” the decorator announced. I was...

No Matter What, God Is Still on the Throne By Debbie McDaniel “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:19 He came home from school wearing his “I voted” sticker and slumped into the chair. My 6-year-old son, lover of all things sports related, had just “voted” for the first time in his elementary school’s mock election – vote for your favorite team sport. Apparently, his choice was not the most popular. “Hey Noah, did you get to vote today?” I asked. “Yeah, I but didn’t win,” he answered with a defeated voice. “Well, did you vote for what you believed in?” Quietly and slowly, still thinking it through, he responded, “Yes.” “Were you willing to take a...

Can I Walk with God Alone? Can you follow God apart from a community of believers? It is possible, especially if there are no other believers where you are. And if that is the case God will provide for you in other ways. But if you are among those who had a bad experience with a local church, or several, there is that pull to withdraw and walk with God alone. However, there is value in being a part of a living and growing body of Christ that is beyond measure. And it is essential for being the person God has called you to be.

We’d like you to pray with us about a new open door.Last week we sent out a mailing to chaplains serving the detention centers on our Southern border. We’re offering them free copies of An Anchor for the Soul in English and Spanish. The letter includes this endorsement from a prison chaplain in New Mexico: For many years I have been giving out the Anchor for the Soul book to inmates in New Mexico, literally thousands to new Christians or to those seeking to understand the Gospel. It has been one of the best tools I can give to inmates as they start down this road to Christ. As chaplain I have approximately 450 ICE detainees from all over the world who have entered the country illegally and are being processed for asylum or deportation, as well as about 400 US Mar...