Thoughts of encountering a lion in the wild are enough to induce paralyzing fear in most of us. Yet those most familiar with the lion's ways, like its peers in the animal kingdom, know that behind a lion's ferocious exterior is a good reason to not be so afraid.The...
Admittedly, I'm a sucker for a nice lawn. I like the grass to be thick and green, borders to be edged and no weeds in between.The edges are easy, but the weeds can seem impossible to control. As many of us know, without the proper care, these often unsightly nuisances...
So much of spiritual warfare teaching infers a cosmic slugfest with the enemy. "Pray up," "fast up" and "suit up" we're instructed, in order to prepare for inevitable battle with the prince of darkness.The issue with such teaching is that it largely relies upon our...
A very worried man once approached famous 18th-century preacher John Wesley, nervously complaining, "I don't know what I should do with all this trouble in my life!"Just as the anxious man finished, Wesley noticed a cow looking over a stone wall. And as if by divine...
Previously known as the city in which David was born and later crowned King of Israel, Jesus's birthplace of Bethlehem is only six miles south of Jerusalem, where He later would be crucified.Because of a prophecy foretold by Micah, for some 700 years, God's people...
It's a certainty: Trials will come; tight deadlines will have to be met; you'll have to smile through pain; God will ask you to take on a seemingly impossible task.And you can do it all (and so much more)! That's because the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the...
I often liken Jesus to a spiritual wrecking ball to the religious culture of His day. That is, His ministry obliterated many of the long-held beliefs taught by their most esteemed leaders.To recount a few of His taboos: He healed on the Sabbath, spoke to women in...
Part and parcel to any relationship is communication—sending and receiving, talking and listening.Our relationships with God are no different. It's of no debate that God wants to hear our voices. But Jesus revealed that God also wants us to hear His. "My sheep...
We all feel it—this world is inundated with noise.Both on and off the Internet, the countless voices that vie for our attention make it a challenge to know what to let in versus what to shut out. Consequently, this chaos of the natural world often makes it even...
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kyle Winkler (@kylejwinkler)We each have genes given to us by our parents.Among many traits, these genes determined the color of your eyes, skin and hair. They set the shapes of your features. They decided some of your...
Most names in Scripture are less of a name and more of a job description. Those that describe the enemy are no exception. "Satan," "devil" and "accuser" not only reveal who he is but they also describe what he does. And that's good news for us. Because by implication,...
Recently, my Bible study group came across the verse: "be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Rom. 12:2b, ESV).Certainly, this isn't an obscure verse. If you've been in the church for even a little while, you've likely heard it. It's often used by we preachers...
We all feel it—this world is inundated with noise.Both on and off the Internet, the countless voices that vie for our attention make it a challenge to know what to let in versus what to shut out. Consequently, this chaos of the natural world often makes it even...
Bad behaviors, bad habits, bad moods—most of us try to beat anything bad in our lives with modified actions.We reprimand ourselves, "I should quit this/stop that," then set out to follow some strict regimen of dos and don'ts.Why Dos And Don'ts Don't Do ItThe...