No matter what reasons we give for not being generous ("that's just how the world works"..."if I don't take it someone else will"..."no one else will help me"..."I need to prepare for the worst"..."I'm just being realistic"...) every excuse boils down to one core issue…
Read MoreDo you love God? Truly love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? If you answered yes, how do you know? Is it a feeling you have? Some sort of emotion? If it is, then you are in trouble.
Read MoreWhat is faith, exactly? We know it’s powerful, because at least six times after healing someone Jesus says to them, “Your faith has healed you.” However, how do we know we have faith, especially the faith that saves and heals and empowers?
Read MoreOne of the shortcomings of the English language is we have one word for love, and that one word must describe our relationship with many people and many things (like friends, pets, and food). Rather than lump all these loves into one word, it would be helpful to dig into the nuances of love and its purpose in our life.
Read MoreWhat is “character growth”? When it occurs in a person, what is happening? More importantly, is character growth something we choose to make happen or is it something that happens to us? Actually, there is a passive and an active path to character formation.
Read MoreDo you compartmentalize your life into various sections (work, fun, school, family, church etc.)? Do you consider some of your compartments to be more God-centred and others less God-centred? In other words, are there any life compartments where you might consider yourself to not be a full-time minister for Jesus?
Read MoreWhen we see an “Under Construction” sign, we may have a little more grace for mess and things not working properly. So why is it so hard to give ourselves the same grace?
Read MoreIt may feel confusing, scary, or clear, but the path is a good one. It may look like it's going around in circles, but the path is a good one. You may not see beyond the next step, but the path is a good one. Your job is not to know the end. Your job is to take the next step, and God has given you tools to help.
Read MoreThere is no end to the study of God. He is Love and Mystery, and the depths of God will never be fully plumbed. However, we clutter our theology if we gather more and more non-essential theological minutiae and mistakenly either lose sight of the essential or elevate the non-essentials to the same level our essentials.
Read MoreThere are times we lack the knowledge and confidence to do some basic things as a follower of Jesus: share our faith, facilitate a small group discussion, explain a bible passage to our kids, disciple a new believer. Sadly, we sometimes use the lack of knowledge as an excuse to not do these basic actions.
Read MoreSin. This word has become a 3-letter "4-letter word" in our culture today. We feel judged when people throw this word at us, and the way certain churches or people claiming to be Christian have handled this word has been nothing short of spiritual abuse, causing "ex-vangelicals" to leave the church in droves. But that doesn't mean it's an evil word.
Read MoreHas anyone ever said to you "I thank God for you..."? If so, what about you were they thanking God for? Perhaps your help in something, or your ongoing presence in their life, or for a gift you gave them? There are two qualities for which the Apostle Paul consistently gave thanks. Do you have them?
Read MoreLong ago, the church had an expression: extra ecclesia nulla salus: “outside the church there is no salvation.” Nowadays we gasp at that statement. It seems so arrogant and heavy-handed.
Read MoreWhen was the last time you attended a work training session, or went to a conference or workshop intended to develop your skills? What skills were you developing? These are great skills to have, and we are wise to keep learning skills and virtues that will serve us well in the workplace and in our career. However, in the grand scheme of life, most of these skills and virtues are of secondary importance.
Read MoreWhen was the last time you were persecuted for choosing to live a Christ-like lifestyle? It’s been a while for me, which is a clear sign I have either surrounded myself primarily with Christians or am not living in a way that truly reflects the righteousness of Christ.
Read MoreI’m what is known as a ‘spicy one’, meaning I don’t often stay quiet when offended, and *may* have a bit of a hot head. Keeping peace is not often my strong suit. This Beatitude always seemed to be unattainable unless God gave me a whole new personality. But if you look closely, this Beatitude doesn’t say blessed are the peacekeepers…
Read MoreSometimes, I think I’m doing pretty good. I am a decent human. I mostly don’t break the 10 Commandments. I can give myself an A on good behaviour, or maybe even an A+! Sadly, however, good behaviour alone is meaningless, especially when we see this Beatitude.
Read More“You who are empty are being filled. Out of your fullness, fill an empty person in need, so that your own emptiness may again be filled by the fullness of God."
(Augustine of Hippo)
If you believe the theory behind the Enneagram personality tests, you’ll know that Enneagram 7’s are never satisfied. They are always looking to the next thing, whether it is a trip, an adventure, or a new outfit. I know, because I am a textbook Enneagram 7 and have come to recognize that I always want more.
Read MoreThe meek demonstrate an extraordinary self-control of passion, temper, word and action. As Jesus surrendered his power to his Father, so too can we surrender our rights, anger, demands and deeds to the Spirit within.
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