Do you ever wonder if the Holy Spirit is nudging you to believe something or to do something? If so, you wouldn’t be alone. But the Holy Spirit can be confusing to people. After all, he’s invisible! So let me explain a few things. The Holy Spirit is the Person, power, and presence of God … Continue reading Is it the Holy Spirit?
bible
Only God can count the apples in the seed
A friend of mine told me about something he saw on a fridge magnet: “Anyone can count the seeds in an apple. But only God can count the apples in the seed.” The reason I share that is because it’s easy to get discouraged when you don’t see something important in your life bearing fruit. … Continue reading Only God can count the apples in the seed
How to grow in godliness
“Godliness” is like “world peace”—we want it but we’re not sure how to get it! So let’s break it down. Godliness is being “of God” or more “like God.” Since we’re all flawed, none of us will ever totally get there, but we definitely want to make progress. 2 Peter 3:11-12 says: “You ought to … Continue reading How to grow in godliness
The Devil’s Achilles heel
Imagine we’re playing a football game, but we can’t see an opponent. So we obviously think the game is going to be pretty easy. But as it begins we keep running into invisible roadblocks and frustrations. This makes us scratch our heads. Why isn’t this easier? But then someone tells us that we’ve been misinformed: … Continue reading The Devil’s Achilles heel
Did Jesus trust the Scriptures?
Last week I highlighted how some people struggle to understand the Bible. Because of that I encouraged you to (a) get a translation in modern English, and (b) buy a good study Bible. But if we’re honest, I think one of the reasons we stall in our reading is because we aren’t really convinced it’s … Continue reading Did Jesus trust the Scriptures?
Struggle to understand the Bible?
A new year is upon us. And more than one of you have set some kind of Bible-reading goal. And even if you haven’t, hopefully you know the importance of being continually rooted in the Scriptures. An inspiring verse about the importance of God’s word is found in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp … Continue reading Struggle to understand the Bible?
Your life and legacy
Welcome to Christmas Eve! It’s a special time. After the presents have been bought, we gather to sing carols and ponder the significance of Christ’s birth. [If you’re close to Barrie and are looking for somewhere to worship tonight check out the links below.] But we live in a world of skepticism. Many people ask … Continue reading Your life and legacy
Does it make you uncomfortable?
Do some of Jesus’ teachings make you uncomfortable? Be honest. Think about a story or teaching that makes you squirm a little. -Maybe it’s one of the ones about helping the poor and it makes you uncomfortable because you know you can be apathetic to the plight of those who are struggling. -Maybe it’s about … Continue reading Does it make you uncomfortable?
Believing what we WANT to be true, verses what actually is
A 2007 Gallup poll revealed that 81% of people believe in heaven, but only 69% believe in hell. That seems strange to me. But it’s also very telling. We like to believe in things we like, but not in things we don’t. The Scottish theologian James Denney did a survey of Jesus’ teaching and found … Continue reading Believing what we WANT to be true, verses what actually is
Over-committed people
Let me start by throwing something out there that might rattle a few cages. Over-committed people are un-committed people. Here’s what I mean because I realize I'm going to have to put a few footnotes on that statement! When you over-commit to the wrong things you can’t deliver on the right things. In other words, … Continue reading Over-committed people
