Rick Thomas | Your Daily Drive

A rebellious teenager is a complicated problem with many sides to it. Loving parents want to motivate this kind of child to change, but too often, they are not aware of all that is involved in helping him. Here are ten practical things that any parent can implement to motivate their teenager to move from a selfish, rebellious person to a potential Christ-follower. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net...

My friend has a hidden, secret sin, which she is afraid to confess to me. I see her in bondage to what she has done and was wondering if it is right or would it be helpful if she confessed her sin to me. What do you think? How important is it to reveal hidden sins to another person? – Supporting Member Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/should-people-you-know-confess-their-sins-to-you/ Will you hel...

I have heard that you cannot counsel non-Christians with God’s Word. It’s not true. You can help anyone with the Bible, no matter what their relationship is like with the Lord. The more relevant question is, how do you do it? What are some practical ideas that would help when talking to unbelievers? Here are a few ideas that I trust will serve you. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/how-to-practica...

God is acting decisively at the cross to work out His purposes to bring everyone from all nations, at all times, to Himself. Apart from the cross, there is no way to understand or enjoy life the way God intends. It’s a mystery as much as it’s the practical centerpiece of the gospel. How well are you living in the presence of the cross? How does the cross define your life today? Read Here: https://...

What are your strengths and weakness, the primary ones that come to mind? I’m sure you guard against letting your weaknesses rule over you. But how vigilant are you in protecting yourself from your strengths? How aware are you that your strengths could be more detrimental to your soul and relationships than your weaknesses? Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/how-your-unguarded-strength-can-become-a...

The gospel connects to every aspect of our lives, regardless if it is things of primary importance or tertiary matters. One of those lesser but valuable loves in all our lives is Christian music, which makes knowing how to connect the gospel to your music choices vital. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/how-to-connect-the-gospel-to-your-music-choices/ Will you help us so we can continue to provide...

Paul had a gospel-centered perspective on personal suffering. In 2 Corinthians 12, we learn that the Lord gave Paul a thorn in the flesh. Though we are unsure what his “thorn” was, Christians generally agree that it was a physical debilitation. I have written on connecting the gospel to physical suffering, so here, I am addressing a gospel connection to personal suffering of any kind. Read Here: h...

Parental discipline is not just a behavioral interaction between a parent and a child. There are hearts in play, too—the heart of the parent and the child. If the parent does not connect the gospel to his heart, the discipline will not go well, and there is a high chance that it will leave a negative shaping influence on the child’s heart and life. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/how-to-connect-...

Connecting the gospel to physical suffering is one of the most essential things you will ever do. The “good news” is always perfect when there is bad news, but how to make those gospel connections are not quickly apparent, especially when your pain is acute and ongoing. Here are seven practical ways to think about the gospel and physical suffering. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/how-to-connect-...

How you think about life determines how you practically respond to life. Living in a broken world is hard, chaotic, stressful, and challenging. And if you have a skewed understanding of the doctrines of man, sin, salvation, and the Lord, you will not engage your life experiences from a God-centered perspective. This reality makes connecting the gospel to everyday life vital. One of the more crucia...

You can’t come out of the world because you live in the world. This problem means that we need to make decisive actions about how to guard our hearts against the influences of the culture. Some choose legalistic separation, while others love the world too much. Paul’s plea to the Corinthians applies to us today because the temptations are similar. Will you help us so we can continue to provide fre...

Hold on and brace yourself for these two bold and sobering truths. Today's sophisticated culture does not accept them, and they may offend you. Everyone is going to hell, and the Lord has set up the agency of humankind to let the whole world know there is another option. Now, the big question: Do you believe in the exclusivity (Jesus is the only way to heaven) of the Christian message? Read Here:...

Living in a relationship with someone requires a practical awareness of how to do it well. Each person is on a private and personal journey that is unlike any other, which means there will be times when helping your friends will be challenging. Before I get into the six practical thoughts for helping a problematic person, let me give you three examples of folks who do not know how to live well wit...

Have you ever had a good run with the Lord, and then all of a sudden, you were surprised by your lack of faith? Something caught you off guard. It's one of those, "Just when you're doing well, then, bam, something bad happens" scenarios. I'm not pessimistic here, but sometimes our faith is hit from the blindside, and we're perplexed and in need of a reboot. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/what-t...

What if God is not an American, and His primary concern is not to keep us from having first-world problems? Is it possible that the Lord has another plan than our pursuit of happiness that is not according to each person’s unique desires to have their lives their way? Sometimes we can fall asleep at the wheel of life, and the Lord brings a correction that reminds us where our focus should be. It i...

Having two genders is not just a neat way to think about the human family. There are functional and irreplaceable roles for each gender. When it comes to parenting, the dad and mom have unique purposes, practices, and effects on children. In this article, I’m addressing the critical need for fathers to step into the responsibility of rearing their boys and girls in the way that only they can. This...

The Christian life is progressive and transforming. To hang with Jesus means to be moving, growing, and changing. It’s a privilege of grace to experience a transformation that leads to maturity, but we’re not all in the same place. There are stages of the Christian life. As you read further, assess yourself to see how you’re doing with the four stages of the Christian life. Read Here: https://rick...

There are times in a relationship when winning the argument should not be your first call to action. Jesus talked about turning the other cheek and going the extra mile with some folks. What relationships do you have where it would be a better experience if you could practice these things? Perhaps this advice will serve you well as you seek to connect the gospel to your arguments. Read Here: https...

Being right is a tricky thing. Did you know that being right does not always mean you have to communicate what you know to be true? How good are you at discerning when to speak and not to speak as you consider the person who should hear from you at that moment? Did you know there were times when Jesus did not speak the truth because it was not best to say it at that time, even though He was right?...

How do you help a teenage son when he does not want your help? You feel him distancing from you and the family, but he won’t communicate with you. Should you relax your expectations? Perhaps a more in-depth question is how is his behavior a reflection of your parenting and, perhaps, your marriage. A supporting member is struggling with her son and wants our help. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/...

To believe in someone or something is part of what it means to be human, and there are many options from which to choose. When you think about all the things that you believe, what is the most vital one? What defines you above everything else? There is one right answer to my question, which you can sum up in five words. Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/these-five-words-are-the-most-life-altering-...

Everyone is carrying a silent disease in their body. You don’t know it and won’t know it until there is a visible manifestation of it. In some cases, it’s too late. The local church is similar. Sin is a silent killer that can infect an entire body. Without careful attention and practical engagement, it can destroy. Your church could become a Corinthian church, and you only wake up to it after it h...

Social media draws from our hearts a mixture of like and dislike—all at the same time. We are thankful for these media platforms because of our ability to reach others easily, quickly, and helpfully. We struggle with these platforms because of the many inherent problems. For example, a lack of self-control, no social discretion, perpetuating isolation, and other addictive issues, which makes a lit...

When someone does something that you don’t like, you have several options from which to choose. You can consent to what they said or did and be like them. You could confront and rebuke them. Or you can try to ignore what just happened, which typically leads to a weird type of awkwardness. The temptations of fear and insecurity are strong when it’s time to take a stand. How do you respond when frie...

Conviction is one of God’s kindnesses to His creation. In the spiritual realm, the concept of experiencing conviction is analogous to the pain we feel in our physical bodies. Actual guilt that leads to conviction is God’s way of telling us that something is wrong with us and the vital need to be free. The most common-sense response to conviction is to respond to the Lord’s warning signal biblicall...