Bringing Refreshment to Others – “Onesiphorus often refreshed Paul. This is the only occurrence of the
word refreshed in the New Testament. It paints a picture of
one who provides a cool refreshing breeze for one about to faint.”
Saturday, March 30, 2019
God’s Grace in a Cup of Tea
God’s
Grace in a Cup of Tea
–
“We should be grateful for all the small blessings God graciously gives us. But
there’s actually nothing small about the blessings he gave today.”
7 Better Ways to Use Your Tax Refund
7 Better Ways to Use Your Tax Refund – “Receiving a refund check has become a strangely
normal piece of financial planning for Americans – we count on receiving that
extra cash and plan to spend it.”
How Not to Study the End Times
How
Not to Study the End Times
– “We
are all eschatologists. But that doesn’t mean we always engage the end times
well. In at least three ways, we could go wrong in this most basic theological
discipline.”
Friday, March 29, 2019
Who Says Social Media Can’t Make You Wise?
Who Says Social Media Can’t Make You Wise? “Ten years of social media has shown me the
wisdom of being slow to speak, how comparison kills joy, how in-person
friendship knows no substitute. But it has also taught me the sweetness of the
well-timed word of encouragement, of shared celebrations and shared losses.”
Parent, You Can Control Your Anger
Parent,
You Can Control Your Anger – “The
root problem is that you have established behavior patterns that you think are
impossible to change. But, through the teaching of the Holy Spirit
in his word, you can be free from the tyranny of anger.”
It’s Time for a Holistic Apologetic
It’s Time for a Holistic Apologetic – “Our
mission, as he understands it, is to present our faith as reasonable and
desirable.”
Magical Thinking
Magical
Thinking – “Americans—including some churchgoers—are showing an increasing interest
in New Age beliefs and practices.”
Thursday, March 28, 2019
The Secret to Strong Friendships
The Secret to Strong Friendships – “The
strength of a friendship over the long haul depends not primarily on personality
or context or proximity, but on prayer.”
Christians in the Cultural Closet
Christians in the Cultural Closet – “There always are closets. Every society
ancient and modern has closets. What changes are those who inhabit the closets.
Gradually we are witnessing traditional, orthodox Christians being forced into
the closets even as the sexual minorities move out.”
J. I. Packer on the 6 Things You Should Tell Yourself Every Day
J. I. Packer on the 6 Things You Should Tell Yourself
Every Day – It’s a good
way to start the day and set your heart and mind.
Time Out, Be Still
Time
Out, Be Still – “I think the
devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements: noise, hurry,
crowds…Satan is quite aware of the power of silence.”
10 Lessons on Parenting Little Ones
10 Lessons on Parenting Little Ones – “Pray for your children. Pray
consistently, persistently, passionately, earnestly, and constantly.”
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Patience: You Can Trust God!
Patience: You
Can Trust God! – “When you begin to question God’s faithfulness, when
circumstances are not what you wanted, you are actually judging God. When your
general response to life is that life stinks, you are judging God.”
Secularism’s (Misplaced) Confidence
Secularism’s (Misplaced) Confidence – “Secularism’s misplaced confidence
is most misplaced when it assumes it can have the fruit of the gospel without
the root of the gospel. It cannot. To mix the metaphor, the West’s secular car
will only run for so long on the gas fumes of the Christian faith it has
abandoned. Without a fuel fill up and a lube and oil change, this thing will
grind to a halt.”
Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?
Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul? – “Is your
spirit troubled? Are you downcast in your soul? Honestly cry out to God in
prayer. Turn your doubts into questions, which flow from faith. Then
deliberately turn away from the messages your emotions speak to you, by
replacing them with the unchanging truths of Scripture.”
Why Pro-Choice People Won’t Define What ‘Abortion’ Really Is (or Where It Leads)
Why Pro-Choice People Won’t Define What ‘Abortion’
Really Is (or Where It Leads) – This simple article reveals how a
person lives with the position.
Women Suffer More, Says New Report on Christian Persecution
Women
Suffer More, Says New Report on Christian Persecution –
“The experience of religious
persecution is gender-specific, not gender-blind… The most typical way that men
and women experience persecution is directly associated with their
socio-culturally-accepted gender identity and roles.”
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
The Early Symptoms of Spiritual Danger
The Early Symptoms of Spiritual Danger – “Yes, apostasy happens. Sometimes
the catalyst is flagrant sin...But sometimes the catalyst is a thorn growing
quietly in the heart, an indifference to the way of the Cross, a drifting that
is not reversed by the knowledge of biblical warnings.”
San Antonio City Council Bans Chick-fil-A from Airport
San
Antonio City Council Bans Chick-fil-A from Airport – What does this action mean? Where do we go from
here?
What Does It Mean for God to Be Our Father?
What Does
It Mean for God to Be Our Father? – These truths and reminders are
always an encouragement to me.
Killing Sin by the Spirit
Killing
Sin by the Spirit – “We should think of sin like cancer
patients think of their cancer. The fighter-types hate cancer.”
Smoke and Onions
Smoke
and Onions – “God
is for us and for those that we live and work among. He is for the
brokenhearted. After all, we are broken, too.”
When You Can’t Escape Busyness
When You Can’t Escape Busyness – “We’re changed not by the removal of
busyness, but by beholding the glory of God.”
Monday, March 25, 2019
Look Up to God, Or Look Down On Others
Look Up to God, Or Look Down On Others – “As
long as you are looking up to God for salvation, you can’t look down on anyone
else. Once you know how much you need the mercy of God, how in the world can
you look down your nose on someone else in need of the same mercy?”
God’s Plan for Us Is the Church
God’s Plan for Us Is the Church – “Living life
apart from the Church is like trying to take a bath without water. You won’t be
successful. Not when God’s plan for every believer is to live and be and grow
in the Church. Sanctification has its deepest roots in the Church. And
equipping for the work of ministry is found in the Church because the fullness
of Christ is in her (Eph. 4:13).”
The Worst Sort of Pride
The
Worst Sort of Pride – “The more religious a man or woman
may be, the more in danger he or she is to succumbing to the temptation to
spiritual pride. This was the error of Pharisaism.”
Sunday, March 24, 2019
#Blessed May Not Mean What You Think
#Blessed May Not Mean What You Think – “Unlike
the fleeting happiness brought by sparkling circumstances and popularity, the
conditions of neediness and dependency on God are the real places of blessing
in his kingdom. Why? Because these things don’t change with our circumstances.”
God Works Through the Weak
God Works
Through the Weak – “Jesus became weak to make a way for God to save and
now commission weak people to accomplish his glorious purposes in the world.”
Saturday, March 23, 2019
God’s Word Heals Your Hurts
God’s Word Heals Your Hurts – “Scripture is a
healing balm to the hurting heart. As its truths ruminate in our distressed
minds, they bring stability to our faith, and warmly nestle into our inner
person.”
Seven Surprising Ways to Prepare Yourself to Share the Gospel
Seven
Surprising Ways to Prepare Yourself to Share the Gospel –
What does it mean to be prepared to share the gospel?
Perseverance is Absolutely Necessary
Perseverance is Absolutely Necessary – “No matter
how talented people are, there is no success without perseverance.”
Your Church and the Hood of a Sports Car
Your Church and the Hood of a Sports Car – Here’s
a reflection on Jesus’s commendation and rebuke of the loveless church at
Ephesus.
Friday, March 22, 2019
‘Brother’ Is More Than A Title
‘Brother’ Is More Than A Title – “The fact that you truly have brothers and
sisters in Christ makes a difference in how you approach engagement with your
local church, it makes a difference how you engage with fellow believers online
(especially when you may disagree with them), and it makes a difference to how
you think of your ‘own’ possessions, time, and energy.”
How Individualism Corrupts the Church’s Mission
How
Individualism Corrupts the Church’s Mission –
In an individualistic culture, relationships are simply not the primary lens
for understanding identity. And that’s a problem because individualism
negatively impacts three areas critical to the Great Commission.”
Does It Matter What I Wear to Church on Sunday?
Does
It Matter What I Wear to Church on Sunday? – There are several things to consider – “When
attending church, we should dress in a way that honors God, honors those around
us, and is appropriate for our cultural (and subcultural) contexts.”
The Power of Counting It All Joy
The Power of Counting It All Joy – “Everyone
understands having joy when a trial is over, but that’s not what is
on James’s mind. It is while you suffer that you must choose
the path of joy.”
8 Often Overlooked Signs of Depression
8
Often Overlooked Signs of Depression – “Here are eight easily-overlooked indicators of depression that can help
you determine if you’re heading toward a depressive episode or in the middle of
one.”
How Can I Pray for My Children?
How Can I Pray for My Children? –
“We can pray with them, for them, and around them. We can also pray for their
particular life circumstances and the work of God in their lives.”
Thursday, March 21, 2019
‘Just Have More Faith’: How Bad Theology Hurts the Suffering
‘Just Have
More Faith’: How Bad Theology Hurts the Suffering – “If you are in
Christ, God is completely for you. Your suffering is not a punishment. Your
struggles are not because you didn’t pray the right way, or because you didn’t
pray enough, or because you have weak faith or insufficient intercessors. It is
because God is using your suffering in ways that you may not understand now,
but one day you will.”
Prayer for Anxiety: When You’re Overwhelmed
Prayer
for Anxiety: When You’re Overwhelmed – “So what sorts of
prayers for anxiety should we pray? Here are five.”
How Not to Help a Sufferer
How Not to Help a Sufferer –
” The problem with Job’s comforters isn’t that they’re heretics. Much of what
they say is true. The problem is the moralistic worldview that governs their
engagement with Job, and compels them to reason backward from suffering to
sin.”
Lord, All I Have Is Yours
Lord,
All I Have Is Yours – “When it comes to what we really
believe, trusting looks like treasuring. For when it’s all on the line for us,
we always trust in what we truly treasure.”
40 Reasons to Avoid Adultery
40
Reasons to Avoid Adultery – “The best way to avoid
all this shame and heartache is before it happens. Pure prevention is the best
policy.”
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
How Parents Are Robbing Their Kids of Adulthood
How Parents Are Robbing Their Kids of Adulthood –
“Snowplow parents have it backward...The point is to prepare the kid for the
road, instead of preparing the road for the kid.”
Why Parents Need to STOP Trying to Make Their Kids Happy
Why
Parents Need to STOP Trying to Make Their Kids Happy – “We need to do for our children what they cannot
do for themselves: distinguish between their short-term happiness and their
long-term good.”
How to Recover from Financial Infidelity
How to Recover from Financial Infidelity – “A poll found that 2 in 5 Americans admit to lying
about or withholding money information from their partner. Another reports that
15 million people have admitted to hiding financial information from their
spouse, and 9 million used to but don’t anymore.”
The Relationship Timeline Continues to Stretch
The Relationship Timeline Continues to Stretch –
This graphic shows how dating, marriage, and sex have shifted over decades.
20 Differences Between the Psalms and Modern Worship Songs
20
Differences Between the Psalms and Modern Worship Songs – “Reading these words makes me want to repent of
treating God lightly, of not respecting him enough, and of trifling with
so-called ‘minor’ sins.”
Your Calling and God’s Will
Your Calling and God’s Will – “So
how do we figure this out? This may disappoint you because it’s so simple.”
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Four Dangerous Parenting Styles Today
Four Dangerous Parenting Styles Today – “The
fact is—we are living in a new day, when parenting has become a competition. We
see it in schools, soccer teams, theatre and neighborhoods. Out of this
stressful period, we’ve created new methods to help us cope with our new
realities.”
The Blessing of the Gift of Prayer
The Blessing of the Gift of Prayer –
Don’t overlook the familiar. “Isn’t it amazing that the God of the Bible allows
his people to communicate with him through prayer?”
Grieve and Worship
Grieve and Worship – “Worship can and should
coexist alongside grief. In fact, grief that does not worship will eventually
become self-destructive.”
What Research Says About How Self-Centeredness Grows in Us
What
Research Says About How Self-Centeredness Grows in Us –
“According to research, the more isolated you are the more self-centered you
are. And the more self-centered you are, the more likely you are to live
isolated.” Here are three good reasons to be in community.
How Should the Church Treat Ecological Issues?
How Should the Church Treat Ecological Issues? –
“This biblical perspective gives Christians something unique to say about the
ecological issues of our day.”
Monday, March 18, 2019
The Most Overlooked Mission Field in America
The Most Overlooked Mission Field in America – “The
most common practiced religion in America today is a generic theism that
mingles biblical concepts with a hope that one is a good person—all while
maintaining autonomy over personal decisions and lifestyle.”
God’s Glory May Be in the Scars
God’s Glory May Be in the Scars – “Chances are we all have some
insecurity that could easily hold us back from doing the work God has for us.
We all could find reasons to stay at home and wallow in our obsessions over
things that aren’t that important.”
The Sufferer I Want to Be: Why I Love the Apostle Paul
The Sufferer
I Want to Be: Why I Love the Apostle Paul – “So, when Paul suffered in
the path of faithful obedience to Jesus, he did not accuse Jesus of bait and
switch. He did not criticize his ways or murmur against his sovereign wisdom.
He did ask for deliverance. Sometimes it came (Acts 22:25–29); sometimes it
didn’t.”
Peace is Not the Absence of Conflict
Peace is Not the Absence of Conflict – “ If you are able to help your
children see that peace is found in following Christ, rather than in
eliminating conflict, you will have taught them a valuable life lesson.”
Living in a (Nominal) Religious Context
Living
in a (Nominal) Religious Context – “The fastest shrinking
category in American religion is still the largest category—people who
self-identify as Christian, but whose religion is not a central part of their
lives. We call these people nominal Christians.”
Killing Sin by the Spirit
Killing Sin by the Spirit – “We should think of sin like cancer
patients think of their cancer. The fighter-types hate cancer.”
A Great Move of God Always Leads to a Great Advancement of the Gospel
A
Great Move of God Always Leads to a Great Advancement of the Gospel –
“Gospel advancement cannot be divorced from the power of prayer. Nor should
prayer be divorced from the need for gospel advancement regionally, nationally
and internationally.”
The Age of Terrorism Meets the Era of the Troll
The Age of Terrorism Meets the Era of the Troll – “The New Zealand shooter is an
extreme example of an increasingly common disaffected person—mostly young
men—whose worldview is shaped largely by an evil online culture. Here are six
characteristics of these ‘trolls’.”
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Saint Patrick: A Teenager on a Mission
Saint Patrick: A Teenager on a Mission – “Most
people think the best place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day would be in the
local pub. Actually, the better place to remember him would be in church!”
When You Do Not Know What to Do
When You
Do Not Know What to Do – “When was the last time a trial came so
swiftly and forcefully that you did not know what to do?”
Responding to the Evil in Christchurch, New Zealand
Responding to the Evil in Christchurch, New Zealand
– Responding with prayer is a great way to respond.
Where Were You? ‘Apollo 11’ Takes Us Back to 1969
Where Were You? ‘Apollo 11’ Takes Us Back to 1969
– “God created us with the ability to see the evidence of his creativity, to
study and ponder it, to enjoy and explore it, and to worship him because of it.”
Friday, March 15, 2019
Don’t Waste Your Worship
Don’t
Waste Your Worship – “After preaching through the
book of Exodus over the last 3 years, it has become evident to me that God
cares about worship.”
Why Men Need Community
Why
Men Need Community – “We all need community. In fact,
we were designed by God to be in community. You can see it modeled for us with
the perfect relationship of the Trinity in Genesis.”
What Happens in an Internet Minute
What Happens in an Internet Minute – “Simply put, the number of actions
packed into just 60 seconds is extraordinary.”
How Individualism Corrupts the Church’s Mission
How Individualism Corrupts the Church’s Mission – “In an individualistic culture,
relationships are simply not the primary lens for understanding identity. And
that’s a problem because individualism negatively impacts three areas critical
to the Great Commission.”
If the Gospel is True, The Gospel is Urgent
If the Gospel is True, The Gospel is Urgent – “God determines exactly where and
when you and I live, as well as where and when everyone we know lives. Our
friendships are not cosmic accidents. They are ordained by God. But why does
God ordain our relationships?”
4 Ways the Gospel Seems Backwards to the World
4 Ways the Gospel Seems Backwards to the World –
“Living in the freedom of the paradoxes of the gospel feels unnatural,
abnormal, and, frankly, absolutely crazy. Maybe that is why it takes so much
faith.”
Thursday, March 14, 2019
How to Shepherd Camels through the Eye of a Needle
How to Shepherd Camels through the Eye of a Needle
– “Who can thread a camel through the eye of a needle? God.”
Helping Friends Who Have Crippling Anxiety
Helping Friends Who Have Crippling Anxiety – Here
are some simple steps to helping others take simple steps.
3 Things to Tell Your Children About Gender
3 Things to Tell Your Children About Gender – “Here
are three great truths that can help parents discuss gender with their
children.”
What Is Biblical Marriage? 11 Essential Principles
What Is Biblical Marriage? 11 Essential Principles. – “What is marriage? It’s a
question the Bible holds the keys to because God created marriage and revealed
it in Scripture. Given the confusion in our culture and in our churches,
agreeing upon the basic meaning of marriage is no longer a ‘given.'”
How Secularity Will Advance the Gospel of the Kingdom
How
Secularity Will Advance the Gospel of the Kingdom –
“Religious pluralism has provided space for the Gospel to be heard.”
How Long Does Grieving Take?
How Long Does Grieving Take? – “Loss is not
always sudden, like it was for Job (Job 1:13-19). Sometimes it’s gradual. Sometimes
it comes in stages. The same goes for grief.”
All the Time Management in the World Won’t Make You God
All the Time Management in the World Won’t Make You God – “I don’t have good enough control
over my time on an ordinary day. Take an hour away and I give way to an
extraordinary bitterness that someone very far outside of my own sphere has the
right and power to mess with something as basic and ubiquitous as the time.”
What We Can Learn From A Prayer of Jesus
What We Can Learn From A Prayer of Jesus – “As
you continue to walk by faith, remember there’s a person named Jesus whose
purpose is to glorify His Father. Christ promises us the gift of eternal and
abundant life, both now and forever.”
Sin Is Cosmic Treason
Sin Is
Cosmic Treason –
“‘The sinfulness of sin’ sounds like a vacuous redundancy that adds no
information to the subject under discussion. However, the necessity of speaking
of the sinfulness of sin has been thrust upon us by a culture and even a church
that has diminished the significance of sin itself.”
Lord, All I Have Is Yours
Lord, All
I Have Is Yours – “When it was all on the line for the young man, he
trusted his wealth, his possessions, more than God. His
wealth was his god, and that kept him from entering the kingdom. The thing is,
he didn’t see this until he really had to choose.”
All the Lonely Peopl
All the Lonely People –
“I think if we’re honest with ourselves, we long for deep relationships with
others. We may be tempted to think our longing indicates that something is
wrong with us, that something is deficient in us, but I assure you it is not.
That longing for deep relationship was placed in us before the
fall. We are created to bond and to have deep relationships.”
What Is Islam?
What Is Islam?
– “What
does this mean for Christian engagement with Muslims? Among other things, we
should apply the Golden Rule, seeking to avoid stereotyping Muslims just as we
would resist being stereotyped as Christians.”
Friday, March 8, 2019
The Things I Am Not
The Things I Am Not
– “In
a moment of harsh reality, I saw my life for what it really was. In that brief
moment when the veneer of my existence was stripped away, I saw all the things
I am not.”
Why Is It So Hard to Pray?
Why Is It So Hard to Pray? – “If I thought for a second that my
feeble prayers changed God’s mind and His perfect will, I would stop praying
altogether. I’m sinful. I don’t know everything, and I can’t control
everything. Yet because God is omniscient and omnipotent, and because He has
our ultimate good and His glory in mind, we can trust Him.”
What If I Don’t Feel Like Praying?
What If I Don’t Feel Like Praying? –
“Before we can cultivate a passion for
prayer, we must be reminded of the power of prayer.”
Don’t Domesticate God with Words
Don’t Domesticate God with Words – “Why do we
do this? We might never admit it, but we often assume God is just a bigger,
better version of ourselves.”
The REAL Wisdom We All Need
The
REAL Wisdom We All Need – “Wisdom is not intellectual
enlightenment but insight into the will of God and the ability to apply it to
everyday life.”
A Meditation on Strength and Weakness
A Meditation on Strength and Weakness – “As Christians we know that weakness is good.
But then, the Bible isn’t always down on strength either. So which is it?
Should we try to grow, to mature, and to fan into flame the gifts we’ve been
given? Or should we boast in all our limitations and failures?”
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Discipleship Simplified
Discipleship Simplified
– “After one confesses, repents, and submits, true disciples take three steps
toward holiness that only end at one’s death or His return.”
Why I Don’t See Tithing as the Pinnacle of Christian Virtue
Why I Don’t See Tithing as the Pinnacle of Christian Virtue – “Sadly, there are some Christians who see tithing
as the pinnacle of stewardship, instead of the starting place. Hearing some
people talk, you’d think it was this extraordinary act of sacrifice and
devotion that only great saints would actually give 10 percent.”
The Glorious Love of God as Our GPS
The Glorious Love of God as Our GPS – “In
Isaiah 43, the Lord delivered a message for his people Israel that focused
their attention on several fundamental realities that speak of his love and
purpose for them. They are the same realities that should help us when we
choose the wrong map, or when we are disoriented, lost, and afraid.”
Why the Gospel Teaches the Opposite of Religion
Why
the Gospel Teaches the Opposite of Religion – “Religion caters to the worst parts of us—pride,
self-centeredness, condescension, self-righteousness, and bigotry—which is why
religious people can be (in the words of our generation) the worst.”
Distrust of the World Should be a Mark of Christianity
Distrust of the World Should be a Mark of Christianity – “American Christians are practically
experts at burying their heads in the sand...Parents make decisions without
stopping to consider who is producing the content that their children are being
exposed to.”
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Discipleship May be Hard and Messy, But It’s Worth It
Discipleship May be Hard and Messy, But It’s Worth It
– “Discipleship is rarely easy and sometimes messy, but it’s never
negotiable.”
The Department of Redundancy Department
The Department
of Redundancy Department – “Don’t grow weary of repeating yourself.
Whether you’re teaching Sunday school, leading a small group, discipling
teenagers, counseling a friend, preaching to a stadium or reading a
children’s Bible to your daughter for the 200th time. Your audience may
have listened before, but this may be the first time they
actually hear. And they will be made the better for it.”
The Most Difficult Thing God is Asking You to Do
The Most Difficult Thing God is Asking You to Do
– “If you want to build and maintain a
lifelong, intimate marriage, one of the most difficult and yet most essential
spiritual skills is forgiveness.”
Peace is Not the Absence of Conflict
Peace is Not the Absence of Conflict – “Your
goal is not so much to end conflict as it is to see hearts given to Christ.
Don’t look for peace where it cannot be found. Make Christ the source of your
peace.”
A Meditation on Strength and Weakness
A Meditation on Strength and Weakness – “Why
does the Bible prefer weakness to strength, and in what way?”
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
What Your Suffering Will Reveal About You
What Your Suffering Will Reveal About You – “Today,
let’s press on in hope, trusting that the cross we carry on the road of
following Christ is immeasurable worth it and eternally valuable.”
Ask TGC: Isn’t Opposing Same-Sex Marriage as Prejudiced as Opposing Interracial Marriage?
Ask TGC: Isn’t Opposing Same-Sex Marriage as Prejudiced
as Opposing Interracial Marriage? – We hear this reasoning in the media
and from our neighbors. Here is a good response.
3 Things to Do When Someone Is Suffering
3 Things to Do When Someone Is Suffering – “In
their encounter with Job, we see two actions that can make a positive
difference in the lives of those who are suffering. However, in this same
encounter, we also see one danger that only serves to amplify the pain of
someone who is suffering.”
Your Sin Begins with a Felt Need
Your Sin
Begins with a Felt Need – “When it comes to our battle with sin, we
must know our enemy and ourselves.”
What Does It Mean to Carry Christ’s Cross?
What
Does It Mean to Carry Christ’s Cross? – “The Bible is
speaking of the complete and loving identification of our lives with Christ,
what He stands for, and what He wants to accomplish through us in this dark
world.”
The End of Parental Rights? A Chilling Case From Canada
The End of Parental Rights? A Chilling Case From Canada
– “The Supreme Court of British Columbia ordered that a 14-year-old girl
receive testosterone injections without parental consent. The court also
declared that if either of her parents referred to her using female pronouns or
addressed her by her birth name, the parents could be charged with family
violence.”
Monday, March 4, 2019
Set The Pattern
Set
The Pattern – “Maybe a pattern where there is no
doubt about where we go on Sundays will make them not question it even if they
are not feeling it. Maybe this pattern in our family will help us continue to
get our family to church.”
Why Is It So Hard to Pray?
Why Is It So Hard to Pray? –
“It’s hard to pray because humbling ourselves, getting over ourselves, and
coming to the end of our stubborn and sinful selves is hard.”
Three Ways to Make the Local Church Feel More Like a Family
Three
Ways to Make the Local Church Feel More Like a Family – We want to feel “more like a loving family and
less like a stuffy institution.”
5 Promises to Remember When You Pray
5 Promises to Remember When You Pray – “Prayerlessness,
no matter the reason, communicates a lack of need for God or a lack of
confidence in God. We need to understand what the Lord teaches about prayer. We
need to trust the promises that flow out of His teaching on prayer.”
God Will Provide the Ability You Need
God Will
Provide the Ability You Need
– “God gave Moses the abilities he personally lacked in the form of other able
people...An impossible job just became more possible.”
Our Culture of Contempt
Our Culture of Contempt – “The problem in
America today is not incivility or intolerance. It’s something far worse.”
The Beauty of Surrendered Sexuality
The Beauty
of Surrendered Sexuality – “In short, the Bible uses marital imagery to
help us understand our soul’s relationship to our Savior. No other human
relationship is as exclusive as the love covenant between husband and wife.”
Be Gentle So That God May Grant Repentance
Be Gentle So That God May Grant Repentance – “One reason why we correct our
opponents with gentleness is so that God may grant them repentance. The
converse, treating our opponents un-gently, may rob someone of the opportunity
for repentance.”
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Do You Have an Epaphras?
Do
You Have an Epaphras? – I love this call to the
priority of prayer, and its connection to true church growth and health.
Your Kids and Heaven
Your Kids
and Heaven – “This is the major concern for every Christian parent. Are
my children going to heaven! If you look to human confirmation for the answer,
life will quickly become a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs.”
Courageously Committed Despite Affliction
Courageously
Committed Despite Affliction –
“When we vow to be faithful during times of ‘sickness and in health,’ who
really believes our commitment will actually be put to the test?”
What Research Says About How Self-Centeredness Grows in Us
What
Research Says About How Self-Centeredness Grows in Us –
“According to research, the more isolated you are the more self-centered you
are. And the more self-centered you are, the more likely you are to live
isolated.”
Murder By Any Other Name: Introducing Fourth-Term Abortion
Murder By
Any Other Name: Introducing Fourth-Term Abortion – “In the American
theater, we have moved from despising dark subhuman creatures we brought into
cotton fields to despising creatures hidden in the dark whom God placed in the
womb.”
Real Men Pray
Real
Men Pray – David Murray continues his short
videos, as part of the Christian Man Academy. In this episode, he gives three
extra suggestions to enhance personal prayer.
Friday, March 1, 2019
3 Signs of a Transformed Life
3
Signs of a Transformed Life – “In his letter to the
Galatians, one of the ways Paul defended the gospel was by pointing to three
ways he experienced Jesus in his personal life.”
God’s Hidden Purposes in Your Suffering
God’s
Hidden Purposes in Your Suffering
– “God
is always working in multiple lives and in multiple ways all at once. ”
Practice the Pause
Practice
the Pause – “Practicing the pause is something I
often forget to do. I react too quick, I jump to conclusions, I panic before
knowledge of the whole situation… Any of these sound familiar?”
Should Religious Belief Inform the Public Square
Should
Religious Belief Inform the Public Square – This article
speaks well to the differences in opinions, policies, and biblical mandates.
Sometimes we get them confused.
Dying Well
Dying Well
– “The
résumé virtues are the ones you list on your résumé, the skills that you bring
to the job market and that contribute to external success. The eulogy virtues
are deeper. They’re the virtues that get talked about at your funeral.”
Time Waiting on God is Never Time Wasted
Time Waiting on God is Never Time Wasted – “With our worldly wisdom, we come up
with creative solutions to difficult problems, only to realize later that
perhaps it was not the smartest idea after all. There is nothing that is
impossible with God, we’d much better-off waiting for God’s perfect timing.”
Senior Adults…The Next Generation Needs You
Senior
Adults…The Next Generation Needs You – “If you are reading
this and you are a senior adult, turn and look behind you. The next generation
needs you to speak into their lives and invest in them spiritually. They are
counting on you to pass them the faith baton.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)