(This is part one of a three-part series on the seven habits of highly effective Christians) “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) Nothing could be truer, right? If only we only understood that the same principle applies to our adult lives, too. Indeed, if we are willing to train ourselves, we can develop the habits that we would like to see in ourselves and other Christians. Even Aristotle agreed. “We are […]

“‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:29) In the late 1970’s, I vacationed frequently at Nags Head. I remember one summer in particular. Several of us decided to go deep-sea fishing in the Gulf Stream, which is not far from North Carolina’s Outer Banks and offers some of the finest dolphin fishing that a charter boat captain can muster. We awoke early that morning because we had to be at the dock by 5:00 a.m. It was windy and our charter boat captain […]

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16) One or two designated Sundays during the year, churches often ask you to invite someone who is unchurched. Some call it “Friend Day” or “High Attendance Sunday”. The names may vary, but you get the point. “Make a difference,” they will tell you. “Be a real friend and help Jesus change a life.” Sadly, many of us let that challenge go through one ear and […]

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” (Psalms 37:74) This week is Hurricane Awareness Week in my home state of North Carolina. Its purpose is to remind us to prepare for the hurricane season, which begins on June 1. It reminded me of a devotion I wrote 10 years ago after Hurricane Floyd ravaged my hometown. It’s a very special devotion to me. You’ll soon realize why. The Bible is full of stories about men and women who thought they had all the answers, only […]