Okay, let’s get right to it. Being casual toward the sin in your life is being casual toward God’s will for your life. Here’s what I mean. In Colossians 3:5 (CSB) Paul says to “put to death what belongs to your earthly nature...” He’s referring to sin. Then in verse 10 he goes on to … Continue reading Transformation needs this
faith
Piercing themselves with many griefs
We’ve been talking about idolatry, and how, when many of us hear that word, we think of ancient peoples bowing down to man-made statues. But our understanding of idolatry is often too narrow. Here’s how I think of it: Idolatry is giving first place priority to something or someone who isn’t God. With that definition … Continue reading Piercing themselves with many griefs
What is your (real) goal?
On Monday we talked about idolatry. When many of us hear that word, we think of ancient peoples bowing down to man-made statues. But our understanding of idolatry might be too narrow. Here’s how I define modern idolatry. It’s giving first place priority to something or someone who isn’t God. With that definition in mind, … Continue reading What is your (real) goal?
Just do it for Jesus
Well, I'm pretty excited. Today this devotional is being published as a book! It’s called “Up! – 313 Devotionals To Help You Start Your Day in a Biblical, Relevant Way.” (See the links below.) I started “Up!” in 2015. I had been thinking about a writing a devotional for a while. And I liked the … Continue reading Just do it for Jesus
Modern idols?
When we hear the word "idolatry," many of us think of ancient peoples bowing down to man-made statues. In Exodus 20:3 God says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” No other gods? Check. No problem there! But our understanding of idolatry might be too narrow. Here’s how I define modern idolatry. It’s giving first … Continue reading Modern idols?
The one label that matters most
Labels. We put them on clothing. But we also put them on people. Sometimes they’re labels other people put on us. Labels like “friend” or “classmate” or “co-worker.” But there are also labels like “jerk” or “ugly” or “enemy.” And do you know what? We put labels on ourselves as well. Some are good. But … Continue reading The one label that matters most
Tweaking your average life
Day in and day out—the same old thing. Do you ever get down about your average life? But just because your life is “normal” that doesn’t mean it can’t be exceptional. One of the ways to do that is with a “kingdom tweak.” It’s tweaking something you’re already doing to benefit God’s kingdom. Take Erica … Continue reading Tweaking your average life
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
Nomophobia and a technosabbath
According to Psychology Today there’s something called “nomophobia.” It’s “the fear of being without a mobile device, or beyond mobile phone contact.” I read about one study that said more people are even taking their smart phones with them into the shower. Maybe that’s you. Maybe it’s not. Either way, more and more of us are … Continue reading Nomophobia and a technosabbath
Desensitized
Unfortunately, because we get bombarded by stories of trauma and travesty on a daily basis, we’re at risk of desensitization. Seeing commercials about suffering children used to be alarming. Now they’re “normal.” Hearing about disasters or shootings used to be rare. Now they seem to be commonplace. Nearly every grocery store line I go through … Continue reading Desensitized
