How do you know you’re on the right track with your faith? After all, we SAY we believe in Jesus, but are we LIVING like it? When you read through the New Testament, one of the ways you can tell you’re on the right track is if you’re showing evidence of God’s presence in your … Continue reading How do you know you’re on the right track?
inspiration
A major stumbling block to faith
Yesterday I talked about having a relationship with Christ and whether or not it is authentic. Today I’d like to focus on something the Bible identifies as a major stumbling block to that relationship: Money. In Luke 16:13 Jesus says it with his usual eye-opening candour: “You cannot serve both God and money.” It’s a tricky … Continue reading A major stumbling block to faith
What’s the least I can do in this relationship?
In his book Eternity is Now in Session, John Ortberg has a helpful illustration that teaches us something about faith in Christ: Let’s say I get married to someone, exchange vows, and pledge to journey with them through life. But what if that night, after the celebration, I ask, “Honey, what is the least I … Continue reading What’s the least I can do in this relationship?
Who says who goes to heaven or hell?
I’ve been talking a lot about heaven and hell. But who goes where? In other words, what makes someone right with God and given a place in heaven, and what makes someone wrong with God and therefore banished from his presence after they die? And who decides these things? I know, I know. These are … Continue reading Who says who goes to heaven or hell?
Diet and God
Speaking to the young Timothy, Paul wrote that “physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things…” (1 Timothy 4:8). When people look at that verse they usually see Paul’s advice to take godliness and spiritual training seriously. And that’s good. But that isn’t ALL he says. He also says that … Continue reading Diet and God
Unhealthy vs healthy “success”
Success is good, right? But what is “success”? A lot of people think of it in terms of career advancement, or money, or popularity. We can even try to be “successful” when it comes to our faith. We want to be successful at praying more or reading our Bibles or serving in a particular ministry or … Continue reading Unhealthy vs healthy “success”
He loves you too much to lie to you about hell
Last week I talked about how awesome heaven is. Today I’d like to pause on a much more difficult topic: Hell. Speaking about hell, C.S. Lewis wrote: “There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power.” I don’t like talking about hell either. It … Continue reading He loves you too much to lie to you about hell
Even when we don’t understand
Marshall Shelley tells the story of the birth of his son. When the child was in the womb, he and his wife Susan learned that he had an abnormal heart. This was obviously difficult for them. They were told their baby would probably not survive birth. The child might not even make it to full … Continue reading Even when we don’t understand
Do we REALLY want community and friendship?
There are popular buzzwords that tell us what people value. A few examples are ‘environmental sustainability,’ ‘transparency,’ ‘wellness,’ or ‘balance.’ Two more biggies are ‘community’ and ‘friendship.’ It’s easy to SAY we want these things, but not fully realize what we’re asking for. The truth is that real community and friendship are often messy. It … Continue reading Do we REALLY want community and friendship?
I wish my dad were here
I wish my dad were here. He died in November 2014 after a short but difficult battle with cancer. I trust that he is in a much better place now than this problem-fraught earth, so it’s not like I wish he were back again dealing with worldly problems instead of enjoying heavenly awesomeness. What I … Continue reading I wish my dad were here
