As you would expect, Jesus’ encouragement to His disciples was always well placed, poignant, and directed. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:31-32 There’s an interesting […]
The Word “If” Is Extremely Encouraging for Some Read More »
For most people, getting out of bed in the morning is the start of their day. Get out on “the wrong side of the bed,” as they say, and you’re disheartened by the prospect of what lies ahead. When this happens, I have my worst days…days where I’m feeling particularly uninspired. It’s like a burden
Getting Out of Bed In the Morning Read More »
It’s fun to play pretend. Most of us grew up engaging in activities that often included acting like someone else. Charades is a perfect example of this. Acting in a school play is another. We’ve all enjoyed pretending; but, what happens when pretending becomes pretension (the root word for pretension is pretend)? What happens when
Be Yourself, For Yourself Read More »
I love the word “righteousness” because it implies “being right”. That may sound like a silly thing to point out, but it isn’t if you really take the time to ponder it. Declaring oneself righteous is a lot easier, in practice, than actually “being” righteous. For example, how many times have you heard someone swear up and
Righteousness Implies Being Right Read More »
The last blog I wrote was titled, How to Handle Aggression, and it had a heavy bent on passive aggressiveness, which, let’s face it, is just plain ugly to see in others. It’s also challenging at times to avoid the temptation to respond in kind when on the receiving end of it. In the same way
I had to spend some time with a person recently that, in all honesty, just rubs me the wrong way. This person spent the majority of our interaction attempting to assert themselves over me. It’s interesting that this type of person never seems to get the “hint” when I refuse to respond in kind. I
How to Handle Aggression Read More »
If you thought you’d be reading about the 1987 movie, The Untouchables, starring Keven Costner, well, you were wrong. While the infamous Chicago mob boss, Al Capone, may have thought he and his posse were untouchable for a time, they weren’t, as history proved, and as the aforementioned movie recounted. In fact, if you want to
A man and a woman get married while still unbelievers. The marriage is often unpleasant and the husband’s abusive words have had enough impact over the years that they have taken root in the woman’s psyche, given her own fleshly weaknesses. He’s beaten down her spirit because he, himself, is an insecure little man (or
Unlocking Romans Chapter 6 Read More »
I wonder if the inventors of television ever imagined the impact their creation would have on the world. I wonder if they speculated how people would become slaves to massive flat screens projecting larger than life characters portraying disproportionally emotional dramas, or high school caricatures, or superhuman sports heroes. I wonder if they could see
The Parade of Fools Read More »
It’s imperative we understand love. The real blessing of love is abiding in it, not just hoarding the pleasure of receiving it. I hope you see the difference – the prior is ubiquitous, directionless, all-encompassing; whereas, the latter is limited, directional, and situational. Which do you think is greater? Which gives you the greater ability to respond
Learning to Think Before We Emote Read More »