I have spent well over a year now attempting to commune with God for ample amounts of time each day in prayer, Scripture, worship, and contemplation. My hope is to get as close to Christ as I possibly can while on earth. I've already discovered plenty of personal benefits to communing with Christ. Here are just four overarching benefits that I've noticed.

Several weeks ago, I was invited to speak on a panel where we discussed how the mission of churches (i.e. sharing the good news) had ceased or stalled. I was asked what I thought were some of the reasons why churches no longer share the gospel with others (which is a vital mission from our Lord). Of course, there can be a myriad of reasons why…

I've been reading the book of Exodus in the Bible recently. Exodus contains the story of God liberating the Israelite people from slavery in Egypt and bringing them to the land that He promised to their forefathers. It's a fascinating narrative with so many lessons we can learn from. One of the astounding parts of…

If you want to have a vibrant spirituality that influences and permeates every part of your life, you're going to need to put in the work. Having a close relationship with Christ doesn't "just happen." Just like any other relationship, it takes intentional and consistent effort to grow your friendship with Jesus. We can't…

If you're going through a tough time in life, here's something that can always help you: praying to God. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6 ESV). Instead of…

One of the simplest (but hardest) ways to take care of our bodies is by exercising. We're called to steward our bodies as best as we can so that we can use them well for God's Kingdom purposes. God designed our bodies to move and to derive physical benefits from constant movement. Regular physical exercise can…

For a long time, I resisted the practice of journaling. The reason for my reluctance was simple: I believed that I had to journal in a very particular way. And if I didn't do it that way, it wasn't considered journaling.

I try to engage in a time of stillness and meditation every day. My main goal when practicing stillness is to increase my awareness of God. I attempt to perceive God for who He really is in my life. At the same time, I hope to cultivate personal humility by decreasing my view of myself. I hope to…

Pastors and Christian leaders in churches and Christ-centered communities have a special role to play in God's Kingdom. We are shepherds, working under the Good Shepherd, who lead people to green pastures and refreshing still waters. We care for people's souls. We cannot and should not take this responsibility lightly. In fact…

I've been a believer in Jesus for over two decades now. It's been a journey fraught with many ups and downs in my spiritual life. In particular, it's been a long journey of learning what it's like to listen to Christ and obey Him every single day. I haven't always been…