Author: Derrick Hurst (Page 5 of 152)

I am husband to Carrie, dad to Matthew, Lucas, and Natalie. I have a desire to see people grow in their relationship with Jesus. My personal mission is to move people forward in their faith life.

How to Course-Correct Without Shame

January 15, 2026 / / 0 Comments

You don’t wake up one day and decide to drift.

You wake up one day, pause long enough to be honest, and realize…
I’m not where I meant to be.

That realization can hit hard. Spiritually. Relationally. Personally.
And for a lot of people, that moment becomes dangerous. It’s dangerous not because of the drift itself, but because of what they tell themselves next.

“I’ve blown it.”
“I should be further along.”
“I need to fix this before God wants anything to do with me.”

That voice doesn’t lead to repentance.
It leads to hiding.

Let’s get something straight: drift is not failure it’s feedback.

Drift Reveals, It Doesn’t Condemn

Drift exposes where attention slipped.
Where boundaries softened.
Where urgency faded.

And Scripture is clear: God does not respond to drift with disgust. He responds with invitation.

“Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” (Joel 2:13, ESV)

Grace doesn’t excuse drift.
But grace does make correction possible.

Three Lies That Keep People Stuck

If drift is common, why don’t more people correct course? Because they believe lies.

Lie #1: “I’ve drifted too far.”
Distance feels longer than it is. Pride exaggerates the gap.

Lie #2: “I need a full restart.”
No, you need a realignment, not a reinvention.

Lie #3: “I’ll get serious when life settles down.”
Life doesn’t settle down. Direction is chosen in chaos or not at all.

These lies keep people stalled when God is inviting movement.

How to Course-Correct (Without Overhauling Your Life)

Correction doesn’t require drama. It requires honesty and obedience. Here’s how real course correction actually works:

1. Stop and Name the Drift
Be specific. Where did you lose focus? Prayer? Scripture? Community? Integrity? Say it out loud. Drift loses power when it’s named.

2. Re-Center on Direction, Not Guilt
Go back to the theme or Word that was meant to guide you. Guilt focuses backward. Direction focuses forward.

3. Restart One Daily Rhythm
Not ten. One.
Five minutes of prayer.
One chapter of Scripture.
One protected boundary.
Consistency beats intensity every time.

4. Bring One Person Into It
Isolation accelerates drift. Accountability corrects it. Tell someone you trust not for shame, but for alignment.

That’s it. No dramatic reset. No public apology tour. Just obedience.

Grace Is the Power Source

Correction without grace leads to burnout.
Grace without correction leads to drift.

Jesus offers both.

He doesn’t say, “Try harder.”
He says, “Follow me.”

And following always involves movement sometimes back toward center.

Let me coach you straight for a moment.

First:
You don’t need to punish yourself to prove sincerity. You need to obey quickly.

Second:
The longer you delay correction, the farther drift takes you. Course-correct early. Pride makes the walk back longer than it needs to be.

Here’s the truth most people miss:

The moment you realize you’ve drifted is not a moment of failure. It’s a moment of clarity.

Don’t waste it.

You don’t need a perfect restart.
You need a humble realignment.

And grace is already waiting at the center.

3 Steps to Break Through Your Midweek Slump

January 14, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Wednesdays can suck. You start the week fired up, but by midweek your energy tanks, motivation fades, and your goals feel far away. If that sounds like you, you’re not alone and there’s a way to fix it.

First, get real about your why. If your reason for chasing your goals isn’t clear and meaningful, you’ll quit when things get hard. So ask yourself: Why does this matter? What drives you? Family? Freedom? Pride? Write it down. Keep it front and center. Your why has to hit you every day.

Next, break your goals down. Big goals are overwhelming and kill motivation. Don’t focus on the finish line. Slice your goal into small, manageable steps you can tackle today or throughout the week. Writing 500 words today beats staring at an entire book you haven’t even started. Small wins add up fast and build unstoppable momentum. Celebrate each and every one of them.

Finally, shift your mindset. Negative self-talk is the enemy of progress. When you catch yourself thinking “I can’t” or “I’m too tired,” stop it. Replace those thoughts with “I’m capable” and “I’m making progress.” This isn’t fluff. It’s owning your power and refusing to let doubt run the show.

Your midweek slump is a choice. You can let it drag you down or fight back with clarity, focus, and action. This 3-step strategy isn’t optional if you want to win. It’s essential.

No excuses. No delays. Just results.

What If God Isn’t Disappointed In You?

January 13, 2026 / / 0 Comments

From the Wizard of Oz to the algorithm that drives your social media feed, it’s easy to feel like the system is against you.

The wizard is distant and unapproachable, hiding behind a curtain. The algorithm is invisible, impersonal, and relentlessly evaluating, rewarding, and punishing based on performance.

That way of thinking has a way of bleeding into how we see God.

Even if we wouldn’t say it out loud, many of us quietly assume God is distant, aloof, or at the very least disappointed. Not furious, just perpetually unimpressed. Watching. Waiting. Tapping His foot impatiently.

That assumption doesn’t come out of nowhere either.

As parents, we’re often quicker to correct our kids than to celebrate what they’re doing right. At work, most of us hear far more about our mistakes than our faithfulness. When things are going well, crickets. When something breaks, immediate feedback.

Over time, we start to believe that’s just how authority works.

And eventually, we project that line of thinking onto God.

We begin to treat Him like the man behind the curtain. Uninvolved, emotionally distant, having designed a system that’s stacked against us. Or worse, like an algorithm that feeds our anxieties back to us on repeat. The more we doom-scroll, the more fear, outrage, and disappointment we’re served. Not because anyone cares about us, but because the system has learned what keeps us hooked.

So we assume God must work the same way.

But what if He doesn’t?

What if God isn’t running the world like a cold machine designed to expose your failures?

What if God isn’t disappointed in you?

What if He doesn’t want something from you at all. But instead designed this world, imperfect as it currently is, to move you toward life, growth, and trust?

I totally get why that’s hard to believe.

We look around and see a world that feels like it’s unraveling. Wars. Violence. Injustice. Loss that makes no sense. And then we’re told God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and loving. Those ideas feel hard to hold together.

I think about when my dad taught me how to ride a bike.

We lived on a cul-de-sac with a decent hill. Before ever letting me ride down it, he walked me around the top of the circle again and again, one hand firmly gripping the back of the seat. Round and round we went. Every time I wobbled, he steadied me.

Eventually, he said it was time.

“Are you going to hold on?” I asked.

He told me I had this. That he was right there. What he didn’t say, what I assumed, was that he wouldn’t let go.

We started down the hill. His hand stayed on the seat, but the grip loosened as my balance improved. Then, without me realizing it, he couldn’t keep up anymore.

I was riding on my own.

Halfway down the hill I made the mistake of looking back to check if he was still holding on. When I saw he wasn’t, I panicked. I lost control. I crashed. Scraped knees. Bloody hands.

In that moment, my only thought was that he had let me fall.

But the truth was, he had already done what I needed most.

That fall taught me something I couldn’t have learned any other way: I can’t move forward if I’m constantly looking backward.

God often works like that.

He holds us. He guides us. He steadies us more than we ever realize. And sometimes, without announcing it, He loosens His grip not because He’s absent, but because growth requires trust.

Not because He’s disappointed.
Not because He’s distant.
But because He’s closer than we think.

God isn’t standing behind a curtain. He isn’t an algorithm feeding your fears. He isn’t frustrated with you for not growing faster. He’s not even just running behind you holding the seat.

He’s at work in you and around you, inviting you forward.

And maybe the most freeing question you can ask is this:

How would you live differently if you actually believed God was for you?

Faith Makes Us Family

January 12, 2026 / / 1 Comment

Most people assume belonging has to be earned.

Work hard enough.
Clean yourself up enough.
Prove you’re serious enough.

That assumption shows up everywhere from jobs and friendships, to families and even our faith lives. But John 1:6-13 blows that whole idea up.

The central message is simple and even a little unsettling: Faith makes us family. Not effort. Not achievement. Not spiritual hustle. Faith.

Before we go any further, there’s a small but important detail that helps this section make sense. There are two Johns here.

John the Baptist is the one being talked about. While John the Apostle is the one writing.

John the Baptist’s role is clear:

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness… so that everyone might believe through him.” (John 1:6–7, ESV)

In other words, he’s not the main point. He’s pointing beyond himself.

That matters, because we’re tempted to make faith about what we do, how consistent we are, how strong we feel, how well we perform. But from the start, this story keeps redirecting attention away from us and toward Jesus.

John describes Jesus as light entering darkness.

And when the light shows up, people respond in different ways.

Some people don’t recognize the light.

“The true light… was coming into the world. He was in the world… yet the world did not know him.” (John 1:9–10)

This isn’t about intelligence. It’s about expectations.

People were waiting for something powerful, flashy, and forceful. What they got was humility, grace, and truth. The light didn’t look like they thought it would, so they missed it.

Others recognize the light but don’t want it.

“He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11)

These people see what Jesus is about, and that’s the problem.

Light exposes things.
It challenges us.
It tells the truth about who we are.

Some people don’t reject Jesus because they don’t understand him but because they don’t like what he says about their lives.

And then there are those who feel too far gone.

They hear the message.
They feel the weight of their past.
They assume they’ve crossed a line that can’t be uncrossed.

This might be good for other people but not me.

That’s why what comes next is so important:

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

Not helpers.
Not outsiders.
Not people on thin ice.

Family.

And John is careful to make sure we don’t misunderstand how that happens:

“Not because of their background, not because of human effort, not because someone else decided it—but because of God.” (John 1:13, paraphrased)

This isn’t about where you come from.
It’s not about willpower.
It’s not about trying harder.

It’s about trust.

And if you think your past disqualifies you, look at the people God actually uses.

David abused his power, took advantage of a woman, and arranged for her husband to be killed. Moses lost his temper repeatedly and struggled to trust God when things went wrong. Abraham lied about his wife to save himself.

These are not role models for good behavior.

They’re reminders that God doesn’t wait for people to be polished before welcoming them.

And notice what the text does not say.

It doesn’t say “believe strongly enough.”
It doesn’t say “believe fully enough.”
It doesn’t say “believe after you fix yourself.”

It just says believe.

No adjectives or adverbs.
No levels.
No fine print.

Belief isn’t something you earn.
It’s not a reward for effort.

It’s the open door.

And on the other side of that door isn’t shame or judgment. It’s grace.

Because faith makes us family.

From Rusty Bolts to Restored Peace

January 9, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Look, I get it. Life piles up. Deadlines, emails, family stuff, church meetings, all that mental noise buzzing in your head like a broken record. Sometimes it’s enough to make you want to throw your phone in the trash and run for the hills.

But here’s the thing: the best way I’ve found to shut all that off is not by scrolling more, or binge-watching another show, or even hitting the gym hard. Nope. I get my real rest and reset in the barn, wrench in hand, working on my newest project. My truck.

I’m talking about the slow, steady, knuckle-knocking kind of work that pulls you out of your head and into the moment. There’s something about sitting on a creeper, peeling off rusty bolts, and swapping them for shiny new parts that’s downright therapeutic. The smell of oil, the clank of tools, and yes, even the rough idle of that old 360 V8 engine sputtering to life. It’s like music for my soul.

No screens. No deadlines. No anxious thinking. Just focus on the work right in front of you.

You can’t worry about your inbox when you’re wrestling a stuck bolt or figuring out why that carburetor isn’t behaving. Your mind has to calm down to solve the problem. And in that calm, the exhaustion starts to lift. The mental clutter fades.

This isn’t just a hobby. It’s a reset button for the soul.

So, after you’ve crushed your week, try something different to rest. Maybe it’s in a barn like me, maybe it’s gardening, painting, or cooking a meal from scratch. Whatever it is, find that thing that forces you to slow down and get out of your own head.

Because burnout isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a warning sign. And real rest isn’t sitting still. It’s moving slow, focused, and toward something that brings peace.

Your mind and soul will thank you. And come Monday? You’ll be sharper, clearer, and ready to crush it again.

What’s your slow-down ritual? Drop a comment or hit reply. Let’s be real about what helps us survive and thrive.

Time For An Honesty Minute

January 8, 2026 / / 0 Comments

It’s Thursday.
Not the adrenaline of Monday.
Not the relief of Friday.

This is the middle where good intentions meet real life.

So here’s the check-in. No fixing. No spinning. Just honesty.

How are you actually doing this week?

  • 🟢 Locked in? You showed up. You kept your word. You’re not perfect, but you’re consistent.
  • 🟡 Hanging on? You’ve done some of what you said you’d do. Life pushed back. You didn’t quit, but you’re tired.
  • 🔴 Need a reset? You got knocked off rhythm. Old habits crept in. Motivation dipped. You’re frustrated or discouraged.

None of these make you a failure.
None of these disqualify you.
But one of them is true.

And naming what’s true matters.

Because growth doesn’t start with hype. It starts with awareness.

Here’s the challenge part (gentle, but real):

If you’re 🟢 what are you doing that’s actually working? Don’t rush past it. Reinforce it.
If you’re 🟡 what’s one small win you can finish strong before the week ends? Just one.
If you’re 🔴 what would a reset look like today, not “next week”?

Not a full overhaul.
Not a dramatic promise.
Just one honest next step.

Progress doesn’t come from being hard on yourself.
It comes from staying engaged when it would be easier to check out.

I don’t want you to be good or even better than before. My hope is that you can honestly see just how blessed you really are. And it all starts with self awareness.

Drift Is The Enemy

January 7, 2026 / / 1 Comment

Most people don’t fail their New Year goals because they quit.

They fail because they drift.

They start January with energy, motivation, and good intentions. They don’t abandon the plan outright. They just slowly stop paying attention. Days blur together. Priorities soften. What once felt urgent becomes optional. And before they know it, they’re moving… just not anywhere that actually matters.

Drift is far more dangerous than quitting.

When you quit, you know it. When you drift, you convince yourself you’re still “basically fine.”

Spiritually, relationally, physically no one drifts toward health, depth, or faithfulness. Drift always moves you somewhere unintended.

“Pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” (Hebrews 2:1)

That verse exists for a reason.

Motion Is Not Direction

Busyness is not faithfulness. Activity is not obedience. Motion is not direction.

You can fill your calendar, crush tasks, and still slowly drift away from who God is calling you to be. You can stay “productive” while losing clarity, purpose, and conviction.

Drift happens when:

  • You stop deciding and start reacting
  • You stop praying and start assuming
  • You stop leading your life and start letting it happen

The reality is: If you don’t choose a direction, your life will choose one for you.

You Don’t Need 12 Goals. You Need a Compass

This is why I’m convinced most people don’t need more resolutions. They need more focus.

Not a to-do list.
Not a productivity hack.
A directional anchor.

Ask yourself this uncomfortable question:

If I keep living exactly the way I am right now, where will I end up?

Not where you hope to end up.
Where your current habits are actually taking you.

That answer doesn’t lie.

This is where a Word or Theme for the Year becomes powerful. It’s not just trendy, not cute, but clarifying. One word that acts like a compass. A filter. A line you refuse to cross.

Words like:

  • Faithful
  • Courage
  • Rooted
  • Undivided
  • Obedient

Not aspirational fluff directional clarity.

Drift Is Subtle. Direction Is Chosen Daily.

You don’t drift all at once. You drift a little at a time:

  • One skipped prayer
  • One unguarded yes
  • One “I’ll deal with that later”

That’s why direction has to be chosen daily, not annually.

Daily rhythms beat big intentions every time.

If you don’t decide:

  • when you’ll pray
  • how you’ll be in the Word
  • what you’ll say no to
  • who speaks into your life

Then friend, you are already drifting.

Hard Question Time

Let’s be honest:

  • Where have you been drifting spiritually?
  • What conviction have you softened?
  • What discipline have you rationalized away?
  • What decision are you avoiding because clarity would require courage?

Drift feels harmless until one day you look up and don’t recognize where you are.

Let me leave you with two coaching challenges.

1. Name the Drift.
You can’t correct what you won’t confront. Write it down. Say it out loud. Bring it into the light. Drift loses its power when it’s named.

2. Decide One Non-Negotiable.
Just one. A daily practice, boundary, or rhythm that anchors you to direction. Small. Clear. Unbreakable. This is how momentum becomes faithfulness.

You don’t need a perfect plan for the year.

You need clarity, conviction, and the courage to refuse drift.

Don’t just avoid quitting this year.

Choose direction and walk it on purpose.

Jesus Small Enough to Carry Can’t Carry You

January 6, 2026 / / 0 Comments

This week, we dove into John 1:1-5. We wrestled with the reality that: Jesus isn’t just some abstract idea or a distant deity. He’s the Logos – the Word – God’s ultimate communication to us, the very source of life and light breaking into the brutal, suffocating darkness of this world.

Now let’s unpack that Greek for a second. Logos. It’s not just “word” like we say it or write it. It’s the meaning, power, reason, the divine force behind everything real. This Logos didn’t just pop up in a manger. He’s existed from the beginning. Jesus is life itself. Real, unstoppable, relentless life.

But here’s the kicker: if Jesus is “small enough to carry,” He’s not carrying you. If your version of Jesus fits neatly into a box that you can hold, then that Jesus doesn’t have the power to carry your mess. Because the Jesus who is life and light isn’t a tiny, manageable faith accessory. He’s a cosmic force shattering darkness,. And if He can’t break into the dark places in your soul, then you’re holding onto the wrong Jesus.

John tells us the light shines in the darkness and darkness can’t overcome it. Darkness runs when real light steps into the room. Your fear, your shame, your failures they don’t get to stay just because you want them to. The Logos came to illuminate, to expose, to liberate.

But beware: light exposes darkness in us, not just out there somewhere. This means Jesus isn’t here to make you comfortable by hiding your flaws. No. That’s not how this works.

He’s here to confront them head-on. The small Jesus you carry around can’t do that. Only the Logos, the eternal Word, the unquenchable light is able to do this.

So here’s this week’s challenge: Stop carrying your Jesus like a teddy bear. Stop trying to tame the light. Jesus is the light that pushes back the darkness, but if you want Him to carry your load, He has to be big enough to do it.

Light doesn’t just flicker; it floods. Life doesn’t just exist; it conquers. And Jesus is both.

If you want a Jesus who can carry you, you’ve got to wrestle with the eternal, uncontainable, unshakable Word who holds all things together including you.

Monday Mood

January 5, 2026 / / 1 Comment

Mondays get a bad rap. Sometimes they’re the best day of the week. A fresh start, a clean slate, a chance to chase your goals with new energy. Other times? They feel like the worst day. They have a heavy drag after a break, especially when it’s the first Monday after a long holiday like Christmas.

Maybe you’re juggling kids back to school, the job kicking back into full gear, and routines that suddenly feel more rigid than you remember. The magic of holiday freedom fades, and the reality of early alarms, packed lunches, and deadlines returns.

It’s normal to feel a mix of emotions today: refreshed and ready to go, or tired and wishing for just one more day off. The key is how you handle this Monday mood. Because how you start your week often sets the tone for the whole thing.

If Monday feels like drudgery, try this mindset shift: Instead of seeing it as the “end” of something good, see it as the “start” of new opportunities. A day to reset, recommit, and choose what you want to focus on even if it’s just a tiny win.

Remember, routines aren’t meant to trap you; they’re there to support you. They create space for progress when life feels busy and overwhelming.

If you’re struggling to find that motivation or balance as life snaps back into place, find someone to walk alongside you. A coach or mentor, a friend or even family member can help you regain control and build a plan that fits your real life.

How are you feeling about this Monday? What’s one thing you’re choosing to lean into today?

#MondayMotivation #FreshStart #BackToRoutine #CoachingSupport #KeepMovingForward

Why Most People Quit on the New Year by January 15 and How Not to Be One of Them

January 2, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Most people don’t fail at change because they lack motivation.
They fail because they try to change everything at once.

New year energy is high. Expectations are even higher. And by mid-January, a lot of people are already quietly quitting yet again.

So this year let’s try something different.

If you want 2026 to actually feel different, don’t overhaul your life. Build a few simple habits you can keep. Not impressive ones. Sustainable ones.

Here are three simple tips that work because they’re small enough to stick and strong enough to matter.

1. Start Smaller Than You Think You Should

Most people aim for dramatic. Lose 50 pounds by the end of the year. Save $1000 more per month, even though the budget can’t sustain it. Run a marathon, even though you don’t run at all. People often think big change requires big effort.

But it doesn’t. It requires consistent effort.

Ten minutes of anything beats an hour you never show up for.
One page read beats a book you never open.
One prayer spoken beats a spiritual plan that lives in your notes app.

If a habit feels heavy before you even start, it’s simply too big.

Simple truth: Momentum is built by keeping promises to yourself, not by making ambitious ones.

Ask yourself: What’s the smallest version of this habit I could actually do most days?
Start there.

2. Attach New Habits to Old Rhythms

Willpower is unreliable. Structure is not.

The easiest way to build something new is to attach it to something you already do:

  • Coffee in the morning → one quiet moment of prayer or reflection
  • Commute → listen to an audio book, podcast, or even your daily Bible plan
  • Brushing your teeth → have one question you ask yourself daily

You don’t need more time.
You need to use the time you have more efficiently.

This works for faith, fitness, reading, leadership. It works for pretty much everything.

Simple truth: If it doesn’t have a place in your day, it won’t last.

3. Measure Faithfulness, Not Outcomes

Most people quit because they measure the wrong thing.

They ask:

  • “Am I seeing results yet?”
  • “Do I feel different?”
  • “Is this working?”
  • “Do I weigh less today than yesterday?”

A better question: Did I show up today?

Showing up is the win. Repeating it is the breakthrough.

Growth, whether that’s spiritual, physical, or emotional, often happens quietly. You don’t notice it until you look back and realize you’re not where you used to be.

Simple truth: Consistency compounds even when you can’t see it yet.

A Final Coaching Question

Before this year fills up with noise, schedules, and expectations, wrestle with this:

What is one habit that if you practiced it most days would make the biggest difference by the end of the year?

Not five habits.
Not a perfect plan.
Just one habit.

Start there. Stay with it. Adjust as needed. Repeat.

And if you want help thinking through habits, rhythms, or next steps, whether faith-related or life-related in any way, I do offer one-on-one coaching. You don’t have to figure everything out alone.

Just email me here if that would be helpful.

This year doesn’t change because it’s new.
It changes when you do something new and keep doing it.

Be well, friends.

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