Do 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.
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What 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.
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When 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?
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There 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.
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Has 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?
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When 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.
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Earlier this week I had my check up with my doctor. As part of the exam he took my blood pressure, looked at the results from my blood test regarding cholesterol, brought up a chart on his computer, and stated: "You have a 5% chance of having a heart attack in the next ten years."
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It has been said that God has no spiritual grandchildren. We are all responsible for our own relationship with Christ. Are you confident you know how to grow in your faith, deepen your relationship with God, and develop love for others? Sadly, this was not the case for Joash.
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Transformation into the character of Jesus is a scary process. Transformation to a more unloving heart is a lazy process.
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When I was 18 I backpacked over Europe by myself for four months and spent many days alone in brand new cities. One of my favourite things to do was to leave my hostel and wander around. I felt free, relaxed, and curious. Little did I know my walking in those moments has a proper name: the practice of flânerie, or the art of aimless strolling.
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We are all different, and there is such a plethora of spiritual practices that we can all find something to which we would look forward every day. But that doesn't mean we should stay with what's comfortable all the time.
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You live in the middle of Empire, but if you are a follower of Jesus you are no longer a citizen of the Empire. Rather, you are a resident alien. As such, you are called to fight against being shaped by the values of the Empire, and instead live by the values and practices of God's Kingdom.
A Rule of Life will help you do that.
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Written by a 7-year old: “You should give up something for Lent. Lent is 40 days. I'm giving up TV. Lent is about the sacrifice of Jesus. Like when Jesus died for us. For example I gave up TV. I want to watch TV. I can't. So I go and read my Bible.”
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There are times logic would dictate enjoying beauty from a distance. There are other times one might think we should admire from afar, but in reality we are called to come closer, even at the cost of our comfort. One of those instances is with God.
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At times the criticism of people humbled me. Sometimes it hurt me. Other times it angered me. If I'm honest, however, I would say usually the criticism (even good and constructive criticism) angered me before it humbled me.
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The desire to be productive and shortcut our way to a destination has crept into our spiritual lives. We no longer have the patience for the slow, earthy reality of being human, and we don't have the desire to simply be "on the way."
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For a follower of Jesus, the most important question is not "Did I hit the mark?" but, "Did I aim for the right mark?"
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Emotions do not adequately define what it means to love God. The adoration of God (having profound love or regard for God) is not the end of the journey. It leads somewhere.
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When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, he didn't reply, "Just pray as you feel led." He said, "Pray like this..." and then gave them the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6). He gave them words and a format.
There are times I am tongue-tied in prayer, when I cannot articulate the thought in my mind or the groaning in my heart. When I feel like this, sometimes I pray in tongues, and sometimes I read the prayers of the saints.
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