"Slaying Your Giants" is now available!

The "invisible giants" are attacking your mind, trying to defeat you. You must learn how to kill the giant if you want to enjoy life!

Filled with inspiring stories, insights, and humor, Slaying Your Giants  explains how to defeat 20 giants you will face in life. Includes a free Discussion Guide for group studies.

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Learn to conquer:  Fear, rejection, worry, depression, anger, unforgiveness, temptation, guilt, doubt, jealously, and more. 
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To read sample chapters click here: Sample Chapters 

Slaying Your Giants for $9.63 click here: Slaying Your Giants--Amazon.com

Slaying Your Giants for $9.99 click here: Slaying Your Giants--ChristianBook.com

Also available at Christian bookstores!

www.kentcrockett.com

Rejection Can Be God's Direction

Rejection can be extremely painful, but many times God will use man’s rejection as His direction. Jesus told His disciples to shake the dust off their feet when they were rejected. “And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet” (Matt. 10:14). That’s good advice. Shake off your rejection and look for new opportunities.

The first book that I wrote was rejected by fifteen different publishing companies. I shook off the rejection and kept knocking on doors. It was the sixteen company that bought my manuscript, which went into several printings and was translated into Korean. God closed 15 doors through those rejection letters to divert me to the right publisher.

God can do the same for you. You must see your rejection as a door that God shuts to protect you from making a mistake and to point you in a new direction. When Joseph was rejected by his brothers, he looked past their hateful actions and saw God’s hand at work. He was sold into slavery, but God promoted to the second-highest position in Egypt. If Joseph’s brothers hadn’t rejected him, his promotion would not have happened.

Even though you may feel abandoned by someone’s rejection, you need to look past the rejection and see God having a better plan for you. The Lord is so wise and powerful that He will use their rejection to get you to a better place where He can bless you. (Slaying Your Giants, Hendrickson Publishers, 2013, p.147)

 

To read sample chapters of Slaying Your Giants click here: www.kentcrockett.com 

(The book includes a free 20-Lesson Discussion Guide for Small Group Studies)

 

You can purchase Slaying Your Giants at your local Christian bookstore.

You can purchase it for $9.99 by clicking here: Christian Book Distributors 

You can purchase it for $9.63 by clicking here: Amazon

Taking Baby Steps

Second Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Walking by faith might mean stepping into unfamiliar territory, doing something that you’ve never done before. To break out of your comfort zone, you must take a step of faith through the fear barrier that keeps you from moving forward.

In the comedy movie What About Bob?, Bill Murray plays a man who is afraid of everything. He works up the courage to go to a psychiatrist, who tells him that the answer to his problem is to take baby steps. Bill asks, “What are baby steps?”

The psychiatrist explains, “It means setting small reasonable goals for yourself, one tiny step at a time. For instance, when you leave this office, don’t think about everything you have to do to get out of the building, just think about what you must do to get out of the room. And when you get to the hall, deal with the hall, and so on. Do you see?”

Bill Murray says, “Baby steps!” As he leaves, he takes six-inch steps as he’s repeating to himself, “Baby steps . . . baby steps through the office . . . baby steps out the door . . .”

What is keeping you inside your comfort zone? To walk by faith, you must first take a step of faith. It doesn’t have to be a huge step. It can be a baby step—but just do it by faith, trusting God to lead you down the right path.(Slaying Your Giants, Hendrickson Publishers, 2013, p. 89)

You can purchase my new book Slaying Your Giants from Christian Book Distributors or your local Christian bookstore.  To read sample chapters, go to www.kentcrockett.com  (The book includes a free 20-Lesson Discussion Guide for Small Group Studies)

A Way to Cure Your Anger Problem

When we moved from Kansas to Georgia, my new job required me to start work before I could get my family moved. My wife stayed behind and cleaned out the house, getting rid of many things so we wouldn't have to move them.
      After we got settled in Georgia, I couldn’t find several items I had been looking for. One of those things was a carved wooden elephant that my mother had given to me. I said, “Honey, have you seen my wooden elephant? I can’t find it anywhere.”
      She said, “Well, uh, I sold it in the garage sale. I didn’t think you wanted it.”
      “You what?” I said in disbelief. “You sold my elephant in a garage sale? I loved that elephant! Why did you do that?” It really upset me that she had sold my prized possession for a few bucks.
      Sometimes God can speak unexpectedly, and in this case He did. As I was thinking about my loss, He said, “Why don’t you give the elephant to me?”
      “Because I don’t have it anymore,” I answered. “How can I give it to you if I don’t have it?”
      The Lord said, “It’s still in your heart. You can offer it to me as a gift.”
      I had never thought of that before. And so I did. I prayed, “Lord, I want to give you the wooden elephant as an offering. Even though I don’t own it anymore, it’s still in my heart, and I give it to you. It’s yours and I won’t ask for it back. Amen.”
      Suddenly I wasn’t angry anymore! How could I be mad about something that I had placed in God’s hands as a gift? I realized that I had discovered a truth that I could share with others. Since then, I’ve shared this experience with others who were upset over things they couldn’t recover. Just offer it to God as an offering.
      Later I was in a store and spotted a miniature elephant about the same size as my wooden one (see the above picture). I felt as though God wanted to replace the one I had given up, and since it was only $15, I bought it.
      Sometimes, if you’ll react in the right way and do what God says, He will find a way to make it up to you. (Slaying Your Giants, Hendrickson Publishers, 2013, p. 136.)
Read sample chapters of Slaying Your Giants at www.kentcrockett.com

What's Stopping You?

When Mordecai Brown was a child he always dreamed of becoming a professional baseball pitcher.  His dream was dashed when his hand was mangled in a farm accident that severed his index finger, part of another finger, and broke his other fingers.  The bones were not set properly so they healed in a deformed position. Even so, he tried rehabilitating by throwing rocks at knotholes on the barn wall. Over time he not only learned to throw again, but was able to throw an unusual curve ball because of the odd position of his fingers.

Amazingly, Mordecai, also known as “Three Finger,” became a pro baseball pitcher, winning 239 games in the major leagues and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame!  Brown’s handicap enabled him to throw pitches with an unconventional movement that left batters bewildered—the curve ball that Ty Cobb once called “the most devastating” he had ever faced.

What handicap is stopping you from reaching your destiny?  Your perceived weaknesses can make you more dependent upon God so that only He can do it through you.  God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).  Paul responded, “Most gladly therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. . . for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

Surrender your weaknesses, handicaps, and setbacks into God’s hands, and then allow His power to work through you.  And once He does it, don’t forget to give Him the credit.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

Slaying Your Giants in bookstores on April 30!  Read sample chapters at www.kentcrockett.com

The Way Out of Confusion

When a scuba diver is deep underwater, it's difficult to tell which way is up because the water diffuses the light and he can't feel the pull of gravity. He can easily become disoriented and lose his sense of direction. His mind will start playing tricks on him, telling him that up is down and down is up. If the diver panics, he will place his life in danger if he swims in the wrong direction.

The diver can get out of his predicament if he'll remember one simple rule--to follow his air bubbles. Scuba divers are taught that no matter which way he thinks is the right direction, the bubbles are always correct. They never go sideways. They never go down. They always go up. The diver must ignore his own sense of direction and trust his air bubbles to guide him.

It’s easy to get confused in today's world when so many voices are shouting at us that right is wrong—and wrong is right. Don’t be fooled by the pressure to conform. When you aren't sure what to believe, remember one simple rule--follow what the Lord says. Just as the air bubbles are never wrong, the Bible is always correct and will point you in the right direction, even when people may say otherwise. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Prov. 3:5-6).

So don't follow the way that seems right, which is wrong. Trust your air bubbles, God's Word, and you will always go up.

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

Coming April 30, 2013: Slaying Your Giants by Kent Crockett (Hendrickson Publishers) 

If Chimps Could Talk

Chimpanzees have actually been taught how to use sign language, and what they have to say is revealing. Stephen Pinker, in his book The Language Instinct, talks about chimps expressing their thoughts through sign language. A chimp named Nim gave this message: "Nim eat Nim eat. Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you."

Examining the chimp's messages, two things stand out. First, Nim tends to say the same things over and over. Second, nearly every sentence Nim utters is a personal request. (Marv Hinten, Light & Life, March/April 2004)

Now suppose that chimps were taught to pray to God. What would their prayers sound like? Reflecting on Nim's examples, we can assume chimp prayers would be repetitive and self-centered. "Me banana You banana me You give banana me eat." That sounds a lot like human prayers!

I'll admit that I sometimes sound like Nim when I pray.  I've prayed monkey prayers, repeatedly telling God what I want.  Jesus instructed us to not get caught in that trap. "And when you are praying do not use meaningless repetitions as the Gentiles do" (Matt. 6:7).

Perhaps we need to learn to pray in a new way.  Instead of repeatedly telling God what we want (you give banana me eat), maybe we need to intercede for someone we've never prayed for before. Can you think of someone on this planet who needs your prayers? Anyone? Maybe if we'll spend more time interceding for others, God will also give us what we want, even if we don't ask for it.

http://www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com

Coming April 30, 2013: Slaying Your Giants by Kent Crockett (Hendrickson Publishers)