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The battles you choose to fight reveal your heart. How did Jesus win the Cross, the largest battle he faced? He forgave. I've often said the reason Judi and I have been married a long time is that I've given my wife a great ministry: the ministry of forgiveness. Funny—but so true. To love is to forgive. Judi and I have done that for each other. Not perfectly, but intentionally. And as often as needed. Paul told Timothy not to get caught up in arguing over things that don't matter. It is unproductive and divisive. Arguing over words is most...

What would you say to your 18-year-old self? How would you help him change his thinking? I've heard that phrase asked in many unique ways, but the best way to actually practice that injunction ... is to mentor a young man. The other side of that is, if you were 18, you probably wouldn't listen. But Paul taught us how to reach those young men. Paul wanted Timothy to be a champion for God's Kingdom. He taught Timothy the lessons he'd discovered and lived, and the attributes that would make Timothy effective, stalwart, and highly successful. Remember that Paul's method...

Cliff was on a drug interdiction Coast Guard cutter working against cartels in the Caribbean. Fulfilling work, but it was dicey, dangerous, and potentially life-threatening. The cutter had to maintain radio silence for days at a time. But on Mother’s Day, the commander allowed each man a five-minute call home. Cliff finally had his turn. Connected with his wife. And she immediately said, “We’re done. I’ve changed the locks. Don’t come here when you get back in port.” Devastating. In the close quarters of a small boat, the word immediately spread. The captain put Cliff on a suicide watch, not...

Boys drive cool cars because we like cars, and because we like girls. We love catching the eye of the hottest girl at school, work, wherever. Then, when we find the woman of our dreams and get into a relationship with her, we are surprised to discover a hidden truth: Integrity is more attractive to women than engines. Weird. To be attractive, she may like your style, but that isn’t what she actually wants. She wants to find out who you are on the inside. Regardless of what we think or what she says, she’s really not that into the...

Lazarus was parked in the center of perplexity. Suspended between earth and eternity. He was about to die. His best friend could possibly heal him and save his life. But it had been a few days, and Jesus hadn't arrived. He believed Jesus was the Messiah. He had faith in him. He had seen miracles, witnessed the unexpected, watched as blind men regained their sight. But now, just a few hours walk away, and his friend hadn’t arrived. What Lazarus did then is a model for you and me. It is the essence of courage. The foundation of confidence. He...