New Book!

Carl Medearis is an international expert in the field of Arab-American and Muslim-Christian relations. He acts as a catalyst for a number of current movements in the Middle East to promote peace-making, as well as cultural, political and religious dialog leading toward reconciliation. Carl, his wife Chris, and three kids lived in Beirut, Lebanon for 12 years. Through their unique and strategic approach around the Arab world, they encourage university students, business professionals and political leaders to live their lives by the principles and teachings of Jesus in order to change their societies and nations. He is the author of the acclaimed book on these issues, 'Muslims, Christians and Jesus'.

Carl is a brilliant author and a good friend and I am excited about his new book titled 'Adventures In Saying Yes - A Journey From Fear To Faith'

To check it out, just click here

Courage and Security

Someone wrote to me after listening to my 3 minute podcast on Saul and his struggle with lack of courage and deep insecurity. I wrote back with some practical suggestions that have helped me on my journey. Here they are:

1. I cried out to God for revelation of his love for me as a father and for understanding of who I was to him...

2. Godly men laid hands on me and prayed for revelation and for healing from deep wounds and insecurities - and kept on praying for me over time

3. I started on a journey of exploring the Father's love through prayer and scripture meditation. I took hold of my place in Christ by faith as Paul describes in Ephesians 1 and Romans 5:17b

4. I started identifying lies i was believing about myself and started speaking God's truth over my life. A great help to me at that point was the book, The Search for Significance by McGee. I saw lies in that book that I had been believing.

5. I prayed every day for a new revelation of the spirit of adoption and rejoiced in it by faith.

6. I learned every day to confess negative emotions to God that I had toward people - hostility, fear, hurt, jealousy - and to receive by faith the Father's love. I learned to confess the sin of negative emotions without condemning myself but as simply the result of working through my heart issues.

7. I got involved in reaching out to others with the gospel - it is impossible to get over insecurity and lack of courage without going on mission with God to make him known to others all around us. Boldness and courage are the result of obedience, not the other way around.

I hope this is helpful. I describe these processes in much more detail in my books, The Father Heat of God and Finding Friendship With God.