Rick Thomas | Your Daily Drive

Both husbands and wives can be mean to each other. This truth is sad as well as a call to mobilize your attitudes and actions to come alongside the erring spouse. How do you do that? How do you care for a mean spouse? Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/means-husbands-and-their-wives-who-want-to-love-them/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a sup...

I want you to think about the last person who disappointed you. Do you have that person in mind? Great. What are your thoughts? How is the gospel guarding your mind from thinking unkindly or in other negative ways about that person? The critical question is where do you place the "log and speck" when you think about those who have hurt you. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/the-critical-difference...

In a perfect world, you can go the distance with any person who has sinned against you. Our problem is that we do not live in an ideal world. There are times when all you can do is forgive them, no matter how great it would be to reconcile with them. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/four-reasons-you-cannot-reconcile-with-someone/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the...

The Apostle Paul was asking one of the most critical questions a Christian can ask another Christian--are you in the faith? How do you know? The real issue here is what does it mean to test yourself or to examine yourself and how do you do it. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/two-ways-to-examine-yourself-to-see-if-youre-in-the-faith/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to...

Individuals who accomplish great things are willing to step into uncertainty rather than sitting back and doing nothing. Most people prefer certainty because their fear is more significant than their faith. People who are open to uncertainty not only walk on the moon but they walk on water too. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/wise-risk-taking/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free...

God is not looking for a few good men or a few folks with specific character traits. It’s not your personality or your wit that God wants. That is not how it works in the "grace of God world" in which you live. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/can-god-use-me-thinking-through-the-non-disqualifying-grace-of-god/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can becom...

An unprepared heart will not receive disappointment well. And when it comes, which it undoubtedly will, the temptation to become a cynic will be powerful. The cynic cocoons himself from hurt while distrusting the active goodness of God in his life. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/cynicism-the-response-of-the-disappointed/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world?...

Let me go ahead and say what many of you are thinking: trusting the Lord does not mean everything will go okay for you. There is a thing called “disappointment with God,” and if you do not know how to navigate this truth when your difficult time comes, you will have a hard time recovering. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/i-trusted-god-and-my-life-fell-apart/ Will you help us so we can continue t...

Show me a happy person. Are they generous? Probably. Show me a discontented person? Are they selfish? Probably. There is a circular Bible logic that goes like this: God loves happy givers, and if God loves on a giver, the giver is happy. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/do-you-wanna-be-happy/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting mem...

The gospel is only radical when you bring its transformative power into your life and relationships. If any two people do what I’m suggesting here, they will experience the practical ability of the gospel in your life. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/radical-marriage-conflict-resolution-tip/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting mem...

Every merciful, loving, and wise parent will not bail out their children but let them learn and mature through the difficulties in their lives. Thankfully, the Lord does this too so we can learn to rise above our troubles. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/making-clear-and-practical-plans-to-rise-above-your-trouble/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can...

An intentional and purposeful community can draw out the noise in your soul while replacing it with compassionate and competent care. If you are part of a small group, especially your family, I urge you to make this a topic of conversation soon. Challenge your group to come alongside you to pursue you for the glory of God. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/can-you-be-quiet-ten-keys-to-noise-reduct...

Imagine the Apostle Paul coming to you with a thorn stuck in his flesh, metaphorically speaking, and wanting your help. What would be your primary goal as you try to serve Paul? Would you try to help him change his circumstances, or would you try to help him make personal heart changes in light of his unchanging problem? Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/discipleship-is-not-primarily-about-changin...

The animating center of your life should be a growing, adventurous, powerful, satisfying, and reciprocal relationship with God. If you are not incrementally and consistently heading in that direction, stop and turn around because you are going the wrong way. Let me explain how to do that. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/the-secret-that-will-change-your-life-forever/ Will you help us so we can co...

Where you place your hope will determine how you finish your journey. You will either live well or die hard, depending on what makes up your hopefulness. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/when-hope-drives-you-insane/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or re...

Self-righteousness is a sense of moral superiority that appoints us a prosecutor of others people’s sinfulness. At times, we relate to hurtful individuals as though we’re incapable of the sins they commit, which is why governing your heart is your first call to action before you engage hurtful people. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/six-questions-when-engaging-others-especially-those-who-have-hu...

Thinking like a victim is easy to do. Becoming a professional victim takes more work, but it can happen, especially if you've experienced repeated hurt for an extended period. And even though you're hurting, the Lord is calling you to a better life, a victorious one. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/how-to-love-care-for-and-help-the-professional-victim/ Will you help us so we can continue to prov...

The Lord and the Bible will not work well for you if those two wonderful things are all you have. There seems to be a consensus of affirmation among many Christians who believe the Lord and His Word are all you need. The Bible would not support this narrow claim on how sanctification happens. Let me tell you a story. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/god-and-the-bible-is-not-all-you-need-to-change...

Mailbag: Are the spiritual gifts to the elders sufficient to meet the church counseling needs? Should more elders acknowledge their God-given sufficiency to counsel? Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/cant-the-local-church-do-this/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a...

If you are an excellent discipler, most of your “friends” will be folks who want something from you and are less inclined to give something to you. Like a man with a truck, who has a lot of friends because of the service he provides. Good disciplers are “Rent-a-Friends.” Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/rent-a-friend-is-what-a-counselor-is/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free cont...

Biff and Mable have pockets of silence between them. They used to talk all the time. They forgot the four absolute musts that all relationships need to know. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/four-absolute-musts-if-you-want-to-get-along-with-someone/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership...

We are totally depraved but uniquely fallen. Sometimes our unique fallenness can tempt individuals to give into the LGBTQ+ lifestyle. If you know someone struggling this way, this resource will help you to respond well to them. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/my-child-is-gay-lesbian-transsexual-transgendered-help-me/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You c...

The gay guy says you cannot discriminate against him because he was born that way. To hate on him because of how God made him is wrong and, according to him, you should not punish, boycott, or deride him because of his identity. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/open-letter-culture-identity/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting membe...

Violence is born out of ignorance. It’s an ignorance that does not care to understand another individual. Without empathy or understanding, it’s not possible to reconcile with someone who is different from you. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/engagement-without-understanding-leads-violence/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting memb...

When someone corrects you, and it hurts, one of the most significant tips for you to remember is that God has already said the worst things about you on Calvary’s hill. And with the most horrible comments about you previously communicated, you have nothing to fear, hide, or protect. Read Here: Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting mem...