“Drive” is important.  It is the motivation to progress, to accomplish, to produce, to excel.  Nothing every happens without drive.  God made us to “be fruitful” but that doesn’t mean that crops will grow by themselves.

“Driven” is dangerous.  It wrecks relationships.  It turns to envy and road rage.  It damages health.  It forces us to perform rather than fulfilling us when we perform.

 How do you know when you are being driven?

Leaders face crisis.  Parents face crisis.  Nations face crisis.  Dealing with crisis correctly can mean the difference in a marriage divorcing or a war starting. 

Here are four things I have learned to always do when a crisis, a trauma, a shocking development occurs:

People often ask, “Why should I bring my child to church?” Or, “What are the values a child should learn from a life in church?” 

Here are the 10 powerful values I learned in church and then transferred to my children:

Sometimes, leaders face impossible circumstances…like Jericho.  Two huge, impenetrable walls.  No way out or in.  No hope.   We all face those walls. 

How do we get the impossible to move out of our way?

Insecurity, in all of us, is a huge problem.  It pressures us to act like someone we are not in order to get approval.

This 8.5 MILLION pound boulder recently smashed into a highway in Colorado.  It’s so big they are building a new road around it!  Somehow, it reminds me of God Himself who called Himself “THE ROCK.”

I love blessings.  God loves to give them.

The only caveat?  You need to love Him, honor Him, and serve Him.

You do?  Then, here are the 5 amazing blessings from Ps. 112:

Fathering is a heart connection.

Parenting is more than proximity.  It is the power to encourage, comfort, and urge your child to win.

Here are the 5 main things to equip you for this lifelong project:

The biggest giants you face are the ones in your mind.  I have learned that “limiting beliefs” are holding me back from any area I must conquer.

Here are the “FIVE GIANTS” of limitations that you must conquer to enter your promised land of success: 

The 7 churches of Revelation have always fascinated me.  They have one phrase repeated seven ways:  “Watch yourself.”

We in the modern day church must check our “vitals” continually. 

Ask yourself these seven questions to be sure your love for God is still lined up: 

Clarity wins the day.  Every time.

If you find your leadership is more “wandering around” I know the problem.  Work on your CLARITY.

Israel had two “silver trumpets” (Num. 10).  Everything in the Jewish life and culture was clarified by their sound.

HERE ARE THE FOUR THINGS THEY DID, AND HOW YOUR LEADERSHIP CAN BE “CRYSTAL CLEAR”:

The will of God:  Is it a “path” or an “environment”? It’s BOTH. You have to “find” God’s path.  You have to “follow” God’s path by your attitude.  

Israel “found” God’s path from Egypt to Palestine (the cloud and fire).  They could not “follow” it because of their attitudes.

Here are the 6 ways from 1 Thessalonians 5 that will help you to “follow” the will of God after you “find” it:

Trials are inevitable.  Bearing them is not.

I’ve been through a lot of trials in my life and, by God’s grace, come through on the other side. 

Here are 5 things that help me “bear up” when passing through a trial:

These days, everyone is offended.  Offended by a social media “like" or “dislike.”  Offended by being left out of the party.  Offended by politics, religion, race, referees, and a hundred other possible stumbling blocks.

How do you keep yourself from constantly being offended?

Depression, loneliness, and anxiety are at an all time high.  Yet, we have more possessions, connections, and options than ever.

What’s the problem?

It’s tough when you want to know God’s will about a certain situation but there is no clear direction. You pray, you read…but still no direction.

Think about these things when you don’t know God’s will:

Let’s face it:  “you can’t believe everything you see or hear.”  You have to have DISCERNMENT.

“The simple believes everything” (Prov. 14:15). 

Here are great tests I ask myself to discern what (or who) is real:

A “quick temper” is one of my biggest struggles.  I like it speedy, convenient and easy.  Studies show that the time people are willing to wait in line has gone from four minutes to…twenty seconds!

Here are 7 ways to “ice down” your quick temper:

Is there someone in your life who has become your greatest challenge?  Does it seem their character is in concrete and nothing will change them?

Here are the changes you can make in yourself that will give you hope that they can change:

When Moses was gone for 40 days up the mountain, it turned into a “free for all” down below.  People usually behave correctly until their leader is not around.  THEN…it is up to their inner character.

Here is how you control your passions even when no one is watching: 

The terrible violence in Christchurch, New Zealand, is a bell that tolls worldwide.  It raises questions of who we are and where we are. 

When Christ met a Samaritan woman at a well, those questions were answered.

Here are the relevant thoughts from the story of the “woman at the well” that speak to me about our current state of religious conflict: