Topic: Choices

Unshakable Hope For A Better Life

Deep inside, most of us suspect our life could be better. Jesus promised abundant life, but Dr. Mike Ladra explains that it isn’t automatic, and that we often block it ourselves. Drawing on C. S. Lewis’s story of Eustace, the boy who became a dragon, he shows how a better life takes better thinking, since our thoughts shape who we become. It also takes better choices, because we tend to repeat our history until we stop making excuses. And it means guarding our hearts against the materialism that drains our spiritual power.

How To Recover From Bad Choices!

We all make bad choices, and sometimes they come back to haunt us. Using Little Red Riding Hood, Dr. Mike Ladra shows that bad choices don’t make you a bad person, and they don’t have to be the end of your story. He explains why the wolf in fairy tales stands for Satan, who is prowling for someone to devour. He then shows how to rebound: guard your mind against the thoughts that lead to bad choices, stop taking the bait of temptation, stop making excuses, and when the warning bell rings, run.

Temptations: Why Not Enjoy Yourself?!!

Why fight temptation when it feels so good? Dr. Ladra uses King David and Bathsheba to show how temptation trades short-term pleasure for long-term pain. He explains why being tempted isn’t a sin and how Satan baits a hook just for you. Then he gives three ways to win: stay out of the “parking lot,” remember that God sees everything, and run when the bell rings.

How To Have The Courage To Say ‘No’!

On the plain of Dura, thousands bowed to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image, but three young Jews didn’t. Dr. Ladra shows that the Bible is grounded in history. He then explains where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego found the courage to be a minority. They remembered the price Jesus paid, they stood together, and they had been making small choices of obedience for years.