This week I’m sharing some thoughts about facing trouble and persecution for your faith. When you look at the New Testament, it was expected that Christians would experience this. An example is 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5. Paul writes, “Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you … Continue reading Prepare to be persecuted?
Jesus Christ
Expect to be different
In Mark 4:16-17 Jesus says that some people will fall away from their faith because of the trouble and persecution they will experience because of it. Since they have “no root” he says, “they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” In the New … Continue reading Expect to be different
A Bible in 23 pieces
In July 2007, 23 missionaries were held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Two of those missionaries were killed by the Taliban before the rest were released back to South Korea. One of the survivors tells a little-known story about their time together in captivity as prisoners. On their last night together before they were … Continue reading A Bible in 23 pieces
Cherish the life-giving gift
The parable of the sower is one of Jesus’ most famous. It describes a farmer who sows some seed. The seed represents God’s word—in short, the message of and about Jesus. Some of that seed falls on a path and some birds quickly eat it up. Some of the seed falls on rocky terrain and … Continue reading Cherish the life-giving gift
What you’ve already been given
Bob Russel tells a story about a farmer who once grew discontent on his farm.* The lake needed to be stocked and managed and the farm itself was an incredible amount of work. It was hilly, the cows needed tending, and the fences needed mending. He decided he was unhappy and wanted to move somewhere … Continue reading What you’ve already been given
The virtue of material modesty
This week we’re wrestling with worry. After all, if we don’t find a way to take it down, it will gladly do so to us! Today’s idea goes hand-in-hand with what we’ve talked about already—about rooting yourself in the voice of Christ, about using a worry filter, and about practicing gratitude proactively. Here it is: … Continue reading The virtue of material modesty
Use a worry filter
This week we’re talking about the big W… Worry. Generally speaking, worry isn’t good. But there are actually a few biblical passages where worry is portrayed positively. One of them is 1 Corinthians 12:24-25 where Paul says that the various parts in the body of Christ [the church] “should have equal concern for each other.” The … Continue reading Use a worry filter
They can’t command the same brain at the same time
Worry. It can rob you of contentment. You know it. I know it. We all know it! Maybe that’s why Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount are so poignant, powerful and popular: “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear… Can … Continue reading They can’t command the same brain at the same time
The situation you’re already in
In 1 Corinthians 12:27 Paul says, “you are the body of Christ...” In light of that, we’ve been reflecting on this important question: How can we be useful to Jesus as his hands and feet in a hurting world by being proactive about the well-being of others? Sometimes we respond by getting involved in programs … Continue reading The situation you’re already in
The power of being useful
A lot of people struggle with their purpose in life. It’s a complicated issue, but one of the reasons people struggle is because they’re not sure if God exists. Historian Carl L. Becker said that humans must be looked at as “little more than a chance deposit on the surface of the world, carelessly thrown … Continue reading The power of being useful
