The Igniting Hope Blog

Big or Small on the Inside? By Steve Backlund One of the hidden tests in life and leadership is what happens inside us when someone else succeeds, and we are not. Most of us enjoy our own victories. The greater challenge is often learning how to respond when someone else receives the promotion, favor, influence, opportunity, or breakthrough we were hoping for ourselves. James 3:13-18 describes two kinds of wisdom. One is characterized by bitter envy and selfish ambition. The

Navigating Church Controversies with Hope & Strong Beliefs By Steve Backlund When controversy arises in the Body of Christ, it reveals more about how we believe than what we believe. Conversations around public leaders and ministries (like those recently involving Shawn Bolz and Bethel Church) can quickly become emotionally charged. Here are four ways I have learned that have helped me navigate moments like these with hope-filled thinking and strong, healthy beliefs. My goal

Avoiding Destructive Pendulum Swings in Our Lives By Steve Backlund “But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . .. self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). There are many areas in which we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to control and overcome negative impulses. One area we will see self-control manifesting is in helping us not to overreact to perceived doctrinal error or to negative information we hear about people. Here are two good verses on self-control. “All things are lawful fo

Who Do You Say They Are? By Steve Backlund “Who do you say they are?” Could this be the third most important question in all of life? The most important question to answer is who we say Jesus is. “(Jesus) said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’

Working Out Our Relational Beliefs By Steve Backlund Every area of our life that does not glisten with hope means we are believing a lie, and that is a stronghold of the devil in our lives. I remember reading this from Francis Frangipane over thirty years ago. It changed my life. Romans 15:13 confirms that statement. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. . . “ Believing truth leads to hope (and to “all joy and peace”). We have beliefs in four

“These People Are the Problem!” By Steve Backlund This is an excerpt from my book, Let’s Just Laugh at That!. It is a book that teaches us the power of laughing at lies. To laugh, we need to let go of the beliefs supporting our negative strongholds in our minds. Main lie: I cannot fulfill God’s call because of the people in my life. Supporting lies (laughable assumptions): God is surprised and completely hindered by what the people in my life are doing. Their choices make it