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Jim Carey said, “I think everyone should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”I’m reading the little Old Testament book of Amos. He wrote to Israel during the zenith of its prosperity and power in the world. But his message was not a positive one. It’s not that Israel’s prosperity was a bad thing. Instead, he seems to indicate that they were blessed with riches and influence in the world. And he promises those wh

As a young Christian, I head someone say, “God doesn’t want you happy, he wants you holy.” Another way I’ve heard this many times, “God isn’t interested in your happiness, he’s interested in your holiness.” And it’s often said like it’s a clever play on words. I remember hearing it for the first time and wondering, “Are those two things mutually exclusive? Doesn’t he want both for us?"The Old and New Testaments are filled with prescriptions for happiness. Jesus himself spoke

Bill was buying a car. The finance assistant gave him forms to fill out, and unbeknownst to the dealership, she gave him an extra form. He put all of his information on that sheet: social security number, driver’s license, bank account information, even a credit card number. Six months later, his bank account had been emptied, fraudulent charges appeared on his credit card, and several notices came in the mail of loans that had been taken out in his name.After months of inqui

Two landscapers were working vigorously in a park. One man was digging a hole, and the other man was filling it up. They were making good time, but what they were doing didn’t make sense. So a bystander asked them about it.“We’re planting trees. I’m digging the hole. He’s filling it in. But the guy who puts the tree in is sick today.”You can work really hard and yet accomplish nothing. Right? Most of us have done that to some degree.It’s the same way with generosity. Every fo

I’m not really a fan of the satire news website, Babylon Bee. But once in a while they publish a parody that contains a very positive message that rings true. Here is one: TORONTO—Local man Tim Rubidoux has refused to join a local gym, claiming instead that his membership in the “invisible, universal gym” should be enough to get him into shape. “Yeah, I’m not really into the whole ‘organized fitness’ thing,” he told reporters, stating that he’s been “burned a few times” by g

A study came out a couple of years ago that highlighted the difference between those who bounce back after adversity and those who don’t. Bounce-back people see challenges in adversity and maintain a “can do” attitude, while remaining focused on those things in life that are bigger than they. Those who don’t bounce back tend to be self-focused and negative thinkers.The differences between the two are seen across the board, with those facing major tragedy and minor. If you can

Mark Twain once quipped, “A lie can get half-way around the world before the truth can even get its boots on.” And Mark Twain never lived to see the internet!Just think about a couple of highly promoted claims that have become almost universally believed. First, the statement that The Great Wall of China is the only man-made object that can be viewed from space. What!? Granted, it’s a very large structure, but while it is really long, it is not very wide, not even as wide as

I was in tears in front of my computer watching an 18 year-old exemplifying Jesus.His older brother, Botham, was his best friend. But that best friend’s life was quickly ended by the careless actions of Amber Guyger, an off-duty Dallas police officer, who entered the wrong apartment, and thinking that Botham was burglarizing her home, shot and killed him. She was allegedly distracted by a phone call with her partner, a married man with whom she was having an affair. She heard

Patience is a virtue and slower is usually more steady. But sometimes, the worst thing you can do is to go slow. I learned that the hard way.I used to love watching motocross on TV and the motorcycle stunts and jumps they showed on ABC’s Wide World of Sports when I was a kid. My favorite was Evil Knievel. I dreamed of doing jumps like his.During spring break one year (I was 7 or 8), I spent the week at my Uncle Ralph’s farm. I brought my bike, but found that there were not to

“What does God want me to do?” It’s one of the most common questions I’m asked in counseling. I can’t always give specific answers. I can give Biblical principles to help with decisions, and often, there are simple Bible answers. But most of the time, making good decisions flow from an understanding of God’s values, goals, and wisdom.But there is a statement from an obscure Old Testament prophet that can guide us through almost every decision. “He has told you, O man, what is

I was riding in a car with a friend who was driving on a field, surveying property, when we came across a muddy depression. He hesitated, and slowing down in the mud, the car stopped. He tried gunning it but the wheels just spun. He put it in reverse, then they spun backwards. I got out and tried to push, and you can guess what happened. I simply got muddy myself. We were stuck. We could not go forward. We could not go backward. An hour or so later, it took a tractor to get u

Just a year and a half ago, we launched our second campus, The Bridge Randhurst. Today, we are a week away from launching our third, The Bridge Northside. Why? People have asked me, “Don’t you have enough going on, Scott?”Well, I’m not bored. And yes, I have enough going on in my life and ministry. But this is not about me. It’s not about the rest of our staff, our elders, or even you. This is about Jesus and what he told us to do 2,000 years ago in his final instructions be