Daily Challenges Archive

Staying quiet is difficult for many people. I’m on that list, I’m afraid. I have gotten better over the years, but early in my ministry I spent far too much time going back to people and apologizing for things I said that should never have left my...

I spent time yesterday reviewing goals and setting plans with my accountability partner to be sure we are walking the path God has laid out for us. It involved clearing out some activities that did not enhance our walk with the Lord. It was also a...

Independent thinking is often admired in our society. It can be seen as a character strength. I often encouraged my children when they were younger not to follow the crowd, to think for themselves, and to make decisions based on wisdom. I think mo...

A number of friends have shared that they plan to improve their financial situation this year. I hope to as well. There’s nothing wrong with that goal, as long as our desire is to use it to help us make a greater impact for the Kingdom. However, o...

January 1 is seen by many people as a day for fresh starts. Some religions actually treat it that way. In reality, you could close your eyes and throw a dart at a calendar, and those 24 hours are essentially no different than any other 24 hours in...

A last thought as we end this year and are about to begin a brand-new one. This is first and foremost an excellent challenge to moms and dads to pray intently for our children. For me, that now includes my grandchildren and the generations to come...

I don’t know what kind of year you’ve had, but I’ve heard a lot of people talk about how difficult this past year was. That is usually followed by a desire for the new year to be better. It is rare for someone to go through a year without a few ha...

I have a friend who will call me at random times and ask, “What does the Bible say about…?” He runs across situations in life and in business and instantly thinks, What does God tell us in this situation? I love that about him. He is not satisfied...

Nearly 25% of all Americans—almost one out of every four people make New Year’s resolutions—include a financial goal. I am doing that this year and will set a plan with my accountability partner to help me stay disciplined in that area. These goal...

I had an older brother. I loved him, but he had a habit of making some really poor choices as he grew up. I watched him carefully, saw where he made a bad choice, and immediately determined that I was not going to do the same thing. In a lot of wa...

One of my favorite images in Scripture is the wise men as they head back home. An angel warned them of Herod’s deception and showed them a different way home. They literally went home by another way after encountering the newborn Savior. In this p...

There are many descriptions of Jesus. There are literally millions—if not billions—of stories of how Jesus has impacted individual lives on this planet. Refreshing the spirit may be one of the least-used, yet best, descriptions of what Jesus bring...