Available Blogs

John endeavors to make his writings available for those who cannot purchase his books through his multiple blogs and social media outlets. Here is quick overview of his blogs and their general focus.

The Monday Memo

John began writing and sending out the Monday Memo in March, 2001. He has told many audiences, "My purpose in writing the Monday Memo is simple. I want to be in your face every Monday morning, asking you, 'Do you know your purpose? What are you doing about it? What faith steps are you taking that are bringing you closer to your goals? Are you using your time wisely? Are you helping others discover their purpose?"

If you want John to bring you regular purpose and faith reminders, then sign up for The Monday Memo. A complete collection of all the Memos is included on this page.

Weekly Bible Studies

John began developing online Bible studies in 2001 and completed a verse-by-verse study of the entire New Testament in 2010. Since then, he has published those studies under the title Live the Word Commentaries, which are available in paper or Kindle formats. Now John has begun a Purpose Study that focuses on the Old Testament. You can access all John's commentaries, Old and New, here, where you can also sign up to receive notices when he publishes a new entry.

Personal Blog

John has written a personal blog since 2006 and has published material on a wide variety of topics like purpose, leadership, his travels, his relief and development work in Kenya, and his daily devotionals. From 2011 to 2015, John wrote a daily devotional, all of which are available on the blog as well as for purchase as books. If you would like to receive a notice when John has written a new entry, you can sign up here. John also posts a devotional Monday through Friday on all his social media outlets.

Daily Reflections from the Psalms

John's most popular devotional is the one that draws its material from the book of Psalms. This daily inspirational work is available in book and Kindle formats and is also available on this site every day.

 

August 13, God’s Creation

God is in love with His creation, and He tends to it personally and with great care. In today’s passage, the psalmist celebrates the abundance of crops that come from God’s role as divine farmer. What’s more, the psalms contain an ongoing focus on and fascination with God and His creation, referring regularly to mountains, rivers, streams, thunder, lightning, grass, seas and animals.

August 12, In the World, Not of It

Many of the psalms express the psalmist’s struggles to live a righteous life in the midst of evil people. These writers knew they could not withdraw from the world, but had to live for God in the midst of it, while trusting the Lord for protection and vindication of their faith lifestyle. Yet often God’s people have taken themselves...

August 11, A Contrite Heart

As we saw earlier this month, God is not interested in religious acts that signify external compliance with His will. He is interested in your heart, for if He has your heart’s allegiance, then the external acts will flow from within and be acceptable in His sight. This contrite, broken heart is not just to be present when you do wrong, but...

August 10, Keeping Track

The rebuke in today’s verse was aimed at people who lived by and studied God’s word. Yet God laid the charge against them that they hated His instruction and somehow cast His words aside, or literally “behind them.” This may portray an image of someone taking something tangible, like a book, and tossing it away with disdain.

August 9, Resisting Joy

This verse was highlighted in the June 18 entry since it is quoted in Hebrews 1:9; here it is in its original context in the Psalms. God anoints you with joy to help you know what you are supposed to do for Him, and then to give you the strength to do it. Yet many of us have been taught not to trust joy because...

August 8, A Surrendered Heart

The sacrifice mentioned in today’s passage is not doing something you don’t want to do or giving something you don’t want to give. It refers to the animal and plant offerings made as part of the worship experience of an Old Testament. You can feel spiritual when you go to church, of when you do make a “sacrifice” — something that you designate as...

August 7, Guidance

David was in trouble (again) and cried out to the Lord in one long prayer contained in Psalm 31. In the midst of his pain, he prayed that God would lead and guide him. God must make His will clear to you if He expects you to fulfill it, and He is a great communicator who has any number of ways of getting through to you.