Bear Clifton is a writer and pastor, and founder of Train Yourself Ministry (trainyourselfministry.com).
Sometimes we think changing our lives for the better requires a Herculean effort. But that's not true.
Think that Jesus appearing on a piece of toast is "spiritually significant"? That's nothing compared to what God actually did for us.
Too often the problem with us is we stop...with us. But we'll never reach our full potential until we reach out beyond ourselves.
If you're lonely, guess you're doomed. Well not so fast, says God.
Who would you rather be like - George Bailey or Mr. Potter? Though we'd all answer one way, our heart often chooses another.
Your simple story of faith can push back evil and awaken faith in others.
If you're a Christian and someone asks you why, what would you say?
It sounds mystical, but it's one of the greatest promises given to a follower of Christ.
Neglect this and your fight to be a better man or woman will fall short.
My passion is to raise up "Grace-bred, Word-fed, Spirit-led men and women of discipline". Grace though must be first, or all sorts of ugliness will follow.
"People do not lack strength; they lack will," said Victor Hugo. But how do we train the will?
Something often has to rock our world before we'll change our world. Take a lesson from Nehemiah.
If you're lounging around, ‘letting go, and letting God', waiting for angels to bring you pina coladas, your life's going to stay stuck in place. It's time for you to take the field.
Faith without art is dead. Imagine a world without a strawberry.
Stories of how people come to faith can reignite our own spiritual passion. Like the story English writer Paul Kingsnorth shares of his own journey to Christ.
God is all about progress and growth - including the progress and growth of your life.
It's going to happen, as sure as dandelions in the spring. You set your life on a new course, and suddenly problems appear. How do you deal with them? Take a lesson from "Stranger Things".
Long before vision-casting was ever a thing, Nehemiah showed how good leaders roll out a plan.
It's never unspiritual to ask the money questions. It's just unspiritual to let money be the deciding factor in every decision.
When you plan something for your life, don't forget about the people around you. They're not just cogs in a wheel.
Seen rightly, planning is as easy as...cooking.
The book of Nehemiah is a leadership primer. In it we learn of the 7 P's of Planning. The 2nd P, preparation, is indispensable to the plans we make. Here's why.
Winning The Lottery Won't Fix This by Bear Clifton
Not everyone is out to burn you at the stake if you strike up a spiritual conversation with them.
When asked how he handles his success at such a young age, Giannis Antetolounmmpo gave a brilliant reply, that every parent should teach their child.
The question is not: Will I face problems in life? The question is: How will I face them?
We can find joy in a lot of things. But sometimes that's the problem.
Do you wanna be a person of good character? Then check what's in the pantry.
Lose sight of how God's grace works in your life, and all sorts of ugliness follows.
Don't be intimidated by people who seem to have their act together. Be inspired. We all pretty much start out at the same place.
All the wrong you've done - and that's been done to you - doesn't have the final say in who you are. Change is possible. Here's how I know.
So you can say no to the wrong things. That's a good place to be at, but it's not the best place. That comes when you can do this.
Level Two Of Holiness - To Grow Say No by Bear Clifton
If your life is out of control, here's the first step to take to come to freedom.
God places such incredible potential inside of us, which many let go wasted.
Do you want to experience true happiness? It's probably not found where you'd guess.
When trying to improve your life, it matters whose company you keep.
I once came across children's doodling on a sidewalk while running, and I learned something about the power of encouragement.
So much of the battle for our lives takes place in the space between our ears. Here's a suggestion for 'taking captive your thoughts'.
Life's too hard and we're too forgetful to keep some joy in our tank. But doing this will help.
Quitting in the finals of a tournament taught me a valuable lesson about perseverance.
Struggle with anger? Here's some great biblical advice, reinforced by an unusual source.
Some people believe their potential is all baked in, and assume that change will be impossible. Here's a better way to think.
Something often has to rock our world before we'll change our world. Take a lesson from Nehemiah.
"Why take care of my body?" some ask. "Life's a crapshoot!" Here's why we should take care of things around us, including us.
There are 'resume virtues' and 'eulogy virtues' - which are you working on most?
What do you do when God starts playing games with and you don't know what the rules are?
A look at the recent college cheating scandal and the harm it's doing.
To keep our pride in check, maybe we should all practice this old Roman trick.
Teddy Roosevelt strategically took advantage of opportunities that came his way. You can also.