Everyone will occasionally have sinful thoughts and actions during their Christian walk. Sometimes the most challenging sinful thoughts come when someone else sins against us. Forgiveness can be hard. Sometimes it seems impossible. How do we forgive others when they don’t deserve it? A good example is when the Apostle Peter denied Jesus during His…
Have you ever asked yourself these questions? What are my goals in life? Do all of these goals match how God wants me to spend my life? How do I live a completely humble and abandoned life to God? How do I continue to learn and grow in this walk with God? In addition to…
What do you think of when I say “worship”? Do you think of smoke machines, colored lights, a band (with drums), and a few people holding microphones? Do you think of a grand cathedral, robes, incense, and hauntingly beautiful music with no instruments? Do you think of a group of people happily singing through a…
Work and rest. It’s a balance that’s hard to get right. For many years, I leaned heavily to the side of all work and little rest. I shared about ways God is changing my heart in this post. Here are some of my favorite books on work, productivity, rest, & sleep (not affiliate links). NOTE:…
“Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (2 Tim 1:2 NIV) Just as the Apostle Paul wrote this encouraging prayer to Timothy, it is my prayer for all who read this blog. This short prayer is also presented at the beginning of many of the epistles. Grace is receiving…
Are you familiar with the P.R.A.Y. acrostic? It’s a simple way to learn how to pray. I didn’t make it up, and I’m not sure who did, but I use this tool frequently. Too often, our prayers become like letters to Santa Claus. I want this and this and this and this. God is not…
I’ve never been very good at resting. I’ve made it my goal to use every minute of my time well, so I specialized in becoming more efficient (so I could do more). I constantly told myself that I had to finish whatever project I set myself before I could rest. Rest became a reward for…
Jesus told us to “make disciples” (Matt. 28:19). Are we missing the mark when we teach? I’m afraid too many classes are training Bible scholars rather than making disciples. There’s an important difference. The easiest way to teach a Bible lesson (for any age) is to teach the facts. We teach a Bible story and…
Most Christians are familiar with the Great Commandment. Matthew 22:36-40 says this: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it:…
Have you heard this old adage? “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” It’s true. Think back for a minute. Who was your favorite teacher in school? Why were they your favorite? Did they make you feel special somehow? My guess is that you knew they cared about…
