DOES YOUR LIFE SITUATION MAKE YOU FEEL DISTANT FROM GOD?

I work offshore in the Gulf of Mexico for a company called Otto Candies. I work 28 days (12 hour shifts each day) and then am off 28 days. My schedule makes it challenging to stay focused and grow in my relationship with God (especially when I'm at work). I feel like I am often spiritually bogged down and just can't get traction. And I feel even worse about my relationship with God when I have been sinning or when I am personally making bad choices. 

ENCOURAGEMENT TO KEEP BUGGING GOD IN PRAYER

I sit at work / school with the same ten people everyday for grad school at the Air Force Command and Staff College. We are about half way through the year and have gotten to know each other pretty well. I have been thinking a lot about how to be a good ambassador of Christ to the group. Recently, I decided to start praying for each of them individually. I put each person's name on a separate notecard and try to pray over one of them daily.  

FOUR VERSES USEFUL FOR EVERYDAY MINISTRY

When I started kindergarten at a small Christian school (a long time ago), I was forced to start memorizing scripture verses. It wasn't too bad at first but by the time I was in 7th grade I was forced to memorize whole chapters. I hated it. 

Most of us don't like taking the time or effort to memorize verses. 

But as I got older, and wasn't being forced to do it anymore, I began memorizing verses that were meaningful to me on my own.   

HOW DO YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF?

For some time now, I have been writing about being a Christian in the workplace but have wondered about how I am supposed to apply all these things since I am in school this year (rather than a traditional work environment). One thing that I recently realized is that we are all (workers, students, family members, etc) called to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). This is more than just reacting in love or treating each other with respect. It is those things and more. It is a proactive love. It does something, not just reacts to something. It is a love that thinks ahead, that initiates. 

HOW TO HAVE RELIGIOUS CONVERSATIONS WITHOUT BEING AWKWARD

I used to be extremely uncomfortable with how to share my faith with co-workers (or anyone, for that matter) or even how to bring up the topic of religion. I was afraid of talking about religion because I thought people might have a closed-of or even hostile response. But I also knew that as a Christian, I am supposed to be a bold ambassador for Christ. Still, it took a lot of courage for me to do it...and when I did do it, it felt clumsy and awkward.

Since those days, I have learned that I'm not the only one; many Christians struggle with how to evangelize. It shouldn't be so hard to talk about something we believe is true and life giving.  Nevertheless, it is very difficult for most of us.

HOW TO GET PLUGGED INTO CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

Because of my job in the navy, I have moved four times in the last four years. It has been difficult to build friendships and a sense of community when I spend so little time in any place. Fortunately, I have always been able to find social connection with other Christians.

TOO SCARED (BUT KNOW I SHOULDN'T BE) TO SHARE JESUS

Last Christmas I spoke with a girl I met about evangelism and being a Christian in the workplace. She told me that she travels a lot and doesn't feel like she has had opportunities to share her faith in Jesus with anyone at work. However, she does make it a point to share her faith when she travels. I was fascinated and challenged by what she had said. By contrast, when I fly/travel I usually make it a point to fall asleep as soon as possible and am sometimes annoyed if the person next to me wants to talk.

HOW TO DO YOUR WORK IN AND OUT OF THE CHURCH

Many of us see the importance of allowing our faith to follow us through the church doors on Sunday and into the rest of our life. It is a struggle at times, no doubt. Many also see the importance of courageously making room for our faith to enter into the doors of the workplace. God at Church, no problem, God at home – yeah that can happen, God at work?  Now that is taking some personal risk. Many workplaces aren’t exactly faith friendly – despite the politically correct company line and the first amendment, there is a great deal of social pressure to be lukewarm, fit-in, and avoid upsetting the apple-cart. Nevertheless, despite the challenges, many acknowledge the virtue of moral consistency - to be true to your values and faith no-matter where you are.

ONE WAY TO BE PURPOSEFUL ABOUT THE INFLUENCES IN YOUR LIFE

I can't seem to find a way to keep from being influenced by things at work, home and in culture. So many things are part of our lives in America: TV, books, Facebook, magazines, radio, billboards, family and friends (to name a few). Some of these we can limit and some of them we will be exposed to whether we like it or not. 

WHY TO MAKE YOUR TIME COUNT (EVEN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO)

I'm a navy man, living in an Air Force town for one year where I don't have any close friendships while I am doing grad school (Air Command and Staff College-ACSC). While I will likely only be here another seven months or so, its hard not to see my time here as very temporary and therefore not worth the investment of my time and effort to build new relationships.  

HOW TO BE A CHRISTIAN AT WORK WITHOUT FRATERNIZING

When I started doing Bible studies with people from work, I was concerned that I might be engaging in the activity that everyone emphatically said to stay away from: FRATERNIZATION (frat). One document from my workplace says this about frat: personal relationships between officer and enlisted members which are unduly familiar, do not respect differences in grade or rank, and are prejudicial to good order and discipline are prohibited. Your workplace may have similar policies or expectations for personal relationships between co-workers. 

HOW TO AVOID EASY, EMBRACE RESISTANCE AND SUCCEED

Recently I was reflecting on the resistance I got from some people on my ship when I tried to implement a few minor changes. I had been reading a book about management, leadership and team building when the "good idea ferry" started to go to work in my brain. I was "in charge" after all and felt responsible to make my organization better if I saw a way to do so. "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" James 4:17

I'M TIRED OF BEING AN HGTV CHRISTIAN

Several years ago I read a book about how to find, fix, and sell (FLIP) houses; shortly thereafter, I bought my first FLIP property. Though I am still very novice, I am on my third house and so far they have all been successful. Since I started doing this, it feels like everyone seems to know about FLIPing houses and everyone has advice for what to do and how to do it. When I ask if they have ever done a rehab, they often say something like "no, but I love watching it on HGTV." 

IF IN DOUBT, READ THE MANUAL

Fairly often I get into religious conversations with people and end up asking them what their faith background is. Most recently, I was talking to a guy at work and he told me that he was a Christians and then he went on to describe some of his theological beliefs. I was a little surprised because I would not have guessed he was a Christian. 

Lots of people are like this...when asked, they claim Christianity, but their behavior and speech don't reflect it; they aren't working the way God intends them to...in other words, they aren't properly functioning Christians. 

JUST DO WHAT I TELL YOU!

I have three amazing kids aged 2.5, 5 and almost 7. My wife does a great job with the little critters, but the house is constantly in some level of dissaray because everywhere they go they leave a trail of clothes, blankets, legos, army men, shoes, toy guns and snacks. If you could pull the roof off our house I imagine that it would look much like an ant hill with them constantly moving their things from one location to another without any distinguishable sense of order, rhyme or reason. 

WHEN ITS RIGHT TO CREATE TENSION IN THE WORKPLACE

I was sitting in my office working on my computer when one of my co-workers came over and started discussing some work projects with me. As the conversation went on, I began to suspect that he was being deceptive about some of the details he mentioned. When I asked him about it, the conversation quickly turned into a confrontation. The argument got heated and then ended with neither of us conceding fault.

I usually feel bad when I get verbally upset or frustrated with people and am quit often at fault in some way. As usual, after our conflict, I started feeling really bad about how upset I got and the fact that I so stubbornly stood up to what he was trying to do.

But then I felt like God told me "don't feel bad about standing up for the truth." I had never had this thought before but it occurred to me that I had in fact stood up to his deceptive half truths simply because he was not being truthful.

AMERICAN WOMAN JAILED FOR HER FAITH-WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Last week I was listening to one of the podcasts I subscribe to (The Briefing by Albert Mohler) and heard about Kim Davis, a County Clerk in Kentucky, who was recently jailed because she would not issue marriage licenses to homosexuals. Because of her faith and in obedience to God, she was unwilling to issue any licenses with her signature on them. And for that, a federal judge sent her to jail.

Whether you agree with this woman or not, it is significant that we are culturally in a place where an American can be sent sent to prison for matters relating to faith.

WHY MAKING TIME FOR GOD IS THE BEST USE OF YOUR TIME

My freshman year of college, I learned an extremely painful but valuable life lesson about time management and priorities. I had a very full class schedule, was overwhelmed and was failing in calculous and chemistry. I was sure I would fail out of college if I didn't spend literally every waking moment studying. I ignored everything else in my life, including God.

Up until that point, I had made it a priority to spend time praying and reading the Bible daily in an effort to grow in my relationship with God. However, with all the stress of school, I was spending less and less time dedicated to my faith.

Have You Ever Wanted To Be A Double Agent (for Jesus)?

One day I was thinking about the idea that Christians are said to be Christ's ambassadors (II Corinthians 5:20) on earth. I started wondering what it would mean for me to live or act as an ambassador and while there are likely many ways to do this, one example stood out to me.
I realized that missionaries are some of the best at realizing and tactically applying this idea to their daily lives. One way that a missionary might act as an ambassador for Christ is to go into another country with a work visa and get a "cover" job so that they can have a means of connecting with the people in that culture for the sake of Jesus.

They would use that "cover" job and the neighborhood they live in as platforms to build relationships with their co-workers,

How To Spiritually Prepare For A New Job.

I recently moved several thousand miles for a new assignment in the Navy (again) and am getting settled in at my new location. Over the last ten years I have moved eight times, changed jobs eleven times, and changed positions within a job close to twenty times. I should probably be a pro at moving

I got rejected-one reason I'm happy about it.

Recently, I was up for a new job (Operational Aviation Department Head in the Navy) and was surprised when I found out the selection board didn't pick me. I have done pretty well professionally, but still didn't make the cut. The Navy will give me one more shot at that job this coming year; if I
don't get selected for it, I will have to change career fields in order to stay professionally competitive in the Navy. 

Before the job results came out, I would have told you that if I didn't get picked it would be a clear indication to me that God had something else in mind. My hope and faith aren't in the Navy, but in Jesus Christ. While I still believe that is true, I was disappointed when I found out that I wasn't selected. It was more of a hit to my pride than anything else. The rejection helped me to

One Simple Technique That Will Improve Your Effectiveness

In my job and life in general, I think a lot about how to influence people and how to communicate with them so they not only hear what I communicate, but actually do something about it. Recently I

Important Reasons Why Christians Don't Thrive Alone

In my last assignment, I was stationed on a Navy ship where I sometimes was so busy that all I did was work, work out (sometimes), eat, and sleep. I tried to set aside time to pray and read my Bible, but would become so busy that I had difficulty focusing on God at all, let alone have any time to

Don't Be Nice, Be Courageous

A while back, one of the more senior people I worked with (I technically outranked him but in reality it didn't always work out that way due to his organizational influence) had a very negative response to an idea I wanted to implement. Like many people, he didn't like change and seemed to resent my

Gay is ok?

Once homesexuals were allowed to be open about their sexual preference in the navy I found out that one of the females who worked under me was engaged to marry another female. As someone who believes that the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin, I thought about the topic a lot.

Jesus. Yes or No?

Recently I spent some time in a car ride with a friend I met through work. We hang out on a weekly basis and have gotten to know each other fairly well. Eventually, the conversation landed on religion. I really like it when I get to talk about this topic and am always trying to figure out the best way to

Why pastors shouldn't work...

Yesterday I read a passage in the Bible that made me realize that I have been thinking a little bit backwards.

Can you see what God is doing?

I want to do my own thing my own way; I have been fighting selfishness my whole life but often succumb to it anyway. I even do this with spiritual things. I may be willing to lead a Bible study or prayer group, but I want to do it my way and don't feel like taking the time to ask God what he wants

My limbs are being cut off...

When I do not prune my lemon trees, they produce a lot of wasted wood that branches and grows in multiple directions, each one trying to make it to the top where it can get the most sunlight. They produce a lot of light green leaves that clutter up the tree. And, they produce lots and lots of very small, and largely useless, lemons that do not have the nutrients to mature and be used in my lemonade. 

Is it ok to talk about religion at work?

When I started my first grown up job about a decade ago, I knew I wasn't supposed to "leave God behind" when I went to work, but I felt an unspoken social pressure to not do or say anything that would give anyone any hints that I might be a Christian. I'm not sure why, but I was terrified to talk

Why you're not religious, even if you think you are.

I often hear people make comments about religion or religious people; its one topic that everyone seems to have an opinion on. But few people seem to agree or even have the same definition of the word. And oddly enough, some of the most religious people I know say they aren't religious. I'm not

Most people make this retirement plan mistake early in their career.

Since I was a kid, I have always given a lot of thought to finance and investments.

I have usually thought of my career and finances from the perspective of how many years I have been working versus how long until I can retire.

Is this one thing holding you back?

A couple months ago, I had the opportunity to encourage a fellow believer and co-worker as he started a lunch break Bible study at work. Like most of us, he was concerned about details, who would show up, and what it would look like. He wasn't sure what kind of material to cover or exactly

Why your future shouldn't stress you out.

As I cross the ten year mark in my military career, I am often asked if I will stay in for the next ten in order to reach retirement. Admittedly, it makes less and less financial sense for a service member in my situation to get out before then, but the question always reminds me about what James wrote in

My work is holy too...

As someone who grew up in a religious family that attended church regularly, I had the unspoken understanding that if I wasn’t a pastor or someone serving as a volunteer in some critical role in the church, I was of lesser value within the Christian community pecking

Work is Not a Curse

People (including me) are always complaining about work.  

But when I read the Bible, I see that work was part of God's original plan for paradise in Eden.  God put Adam to work before Adam and Eve got thrown out of the garden and fell under the curse.  However, because of the curse, many workplaces have become unhealthy and perhaps even demoralizing; as Christians, God can use us to reverse the effects of the curse in the workplace.

Come to my Church Evangelism

At work and other places I often invite people to come to my church or bible study or other Christian thing.  After I have invited someone once, I tend to keep asking (nagging) every time I see that

Make the main thing the main thing.

When I was in college, I heard someone say that “ministry is the wake you leave behind in the pursuit of Christ.”  I think a lot about how to do ministry in all aspects of my life but I want to step back for a minute and remember that the ministry of a christian falls in the shadow of the christian’s relationship with Christ.  The problem is that it is harder for me live

3 Reasons Not to Believe in Jesus' Resurrection

I have had my share of doubts and have heard many criticisms and arguments against the resurrection of Christ.  Here are three of the more prominent ones:

I'm too busy for that.

Most mornings on my way to work I ask God to make me sensitive to the needs of others and use me to further his kingdom during the day.  Then I start my work day and far too often become so immersed in my job that I forget about God until after I leave.

I've wasted too much time.

When I look back over my life and think of when I was not actively serving and loving people in my sphere of influence or in the body of Christ, I now view it as wasted time. I have some good memories but they are meaningless, knowing that many of my best friends could spend eternity separated from God.

We need to get lit up

I don't know about you, but I am inclined to keep my faith beliefs to myself. The idea of sharing my faith with my co-workers makes me feel a little uncomfortable. After all, I don't want to force my beliefs on anyone else, right? However, when I read the Bible, I am convinced that I am not supposed to hide my faith but instead be ready to explain my faith (I Peter 3:15).  

...the easy way or the hard way

Many of us live in a risk adverse culture where we look for the "safe" way and avoid trouble at all cost. The problem is that our God is not a risk free kind of God. He often calls us to outrageous things that make no sense to us.  

Fire your boss?

In the +Boundless.org podcast I linked to below, Jimmy Collins (former president of Chick-Fil-A) says that  people quit their boss's not their jobs. In my line of work, it isn't easy to quit whenever you want to but the idea still struck a chord in me.

Should I go to China?

Have you ever heard anyone say they are or are not called to be a missionary? I don't know about going to China or some other place but I do know that those of us who are in Christ are called to be missionaries to the world and make disciples of all nations. If I can not be faithful to share Christ with the world I live in now, what business do I have going to another one?

Don't separate who you are from what you do!

Culture tells us not to discuss religion, sex or politics in the workplace. As a Christian, I am tempted to put my faith in a box while I'm at work. And since I am a creature of habit, I get so good at doing this that I start to think of my faith from a Sunday morning perspective rather than an every day perspective.