Confession is Good for Relationship
When we hold things inside it hinders trust and cooperation and leads to lies, deceit, and mistrust, and ultimately it leads to a breakdown of communication and intimacy. The lack of confession in my life affects how I interact with those around me and with God, I’m finding, in surprising ways.
read moreNo Eye Has Seen It
Lately I’ve been thinking about how different our world is from what people experienced in the past, even 500 years ago, let alone back in the Garden of Eden or after the fall. And I was thinking about how different the world will be after Christ returns, after there are new heavens and a new earth, after everything is restored and made new.
read moreThe Righteous Sinner – The Paradox of Christianity
We’re unrighteous as long as we remain in this world, but God is transforming our nature to be like his nature. He’s adopted us and we’ve taken on his name and his nature, but it’s not fully realized yet.
read moreBono on his Faith, Family, Poverty, and The One Thing
U2’s Bono sat down for an interview with Focus on The Family earlier this year. In it he talks about his personal faith, grace, his family, and the ONE campaign. At times through the music of U2, and certainly through his activism, Bono seems to express a personal faith in the things Jesus taught, perhaps in spite of his reluctance to brand himself with the name “Christian.”
read moreHow to Be Blessed
Who doesn’t want to receive a blessing from God, right? So if we want to be blessed, is there a formula, a criteria, a series of actions we must do, or certain attitudes we must have? Unfortunately the answer depends on which preacher you talk to.
read moreProvision in the Wilderness
Do you ever find yourself in a desert place? In a place of barrenness and loneliness, in a place of need? Sometimes we wonder how we ever got here and if we will ever get out. And we wonder how we will survive. Jesus taught his disciples that provision comes from a loving heavenly father, even in the place of wilderness.
read moreAbiding In the Field
I’ve been learning lately about how we honor the gifts and callings we’ve been given. And I’ve been thinking about working the field God has given me with diligence and excellence. I’m learning to wait for him and to listen for his voice to speak to me.
read moreThe Spirit Cries Abba
When we cry out to God, like a child crying out to its parent, He holds us tightly and tells us everything is going to be alright. He touches our soul and we feel his love. He fills us with his Spirit and the Spirit confirms that we are his children because the Spirit communicates love.
read moreGive Yourself Away
I woke up this morning thinking about generosity. We have been amazed by the blessings of those who have donated to our adoption fundraiser. There is a song by Newsong, called, “Give Yourself Away” where the chorus encourages us to be the hands and feet of Jesus. And that the greatest sacrifice we can make is to give ourselves away.
read moreLet The Spirit Flow
This weekend we celebrated Pentecost on the Christian calendar. Lots of churches were giving a historical lesson of something that happened long ago. But today many of us doubt if God still works the way he did, or if he does it certainly wouldn’t be through me.
read more