“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).When I was in university one of my professors told our class that during our discussions, we weren’t allowed to use the word “interesting.”Why not? Since it was a word that people over-used, it had lost it’s meaning. “Yes, that … Continue reading The (real) signs of love
love
The love that jams the Devil’s wheels
Jesus said: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:44)Do you have enemies? Perhaps you do, perhaps you don’t. If you don’t, perhaps you still have people who you feel are somehow “against” you. They always seem to say the wrong thing at the right time. They foil your plans, put you … Continue reading The love that jams the Devil’s wheels
Love makes you do things
Fred Craddock tells a story from when he and his wife lived in Oklahoma. There was a tornado warning. They went out on their porch. They could literally see the tornado coming. It looked like it was going to change directions, but it didn’t. In fact, it was coming straight toward their house! So they jumped in … Continue reading Love makes you do things
Imitating the one who put others first
Gary and Mary Jane Chauncey were devoted to their 11-year old daughter, Andrea. She had cerebral palsy and was confined to a wheelchair. The Chauncey’s were on a train which was travelling over a bridge in Louisiana. A barge hit the bridge. Their train was derailed. Some of the train cars ended up on the … Continue reading Imitating the one who put others first
Cooperating with God’s forward motion
In yesterday’s devotional I shared an anonymous saying: “God meets you where you’re at, not where you should be at.” It’s a reminder that God doesn’t require you to be in tip-top moral shape or a top-notch theologian to come to you and intervene in your life. But when that happens, what happens next? Cooperate … Continue reading Cooperating with God’s forward motion
Speaking the truth in love
One of the most famous verses in Ephesians is chapter 4 verse 15: “speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” The famous part is right at the start: speak the truth in love. My guess is that … Continue reading Speaking the truth in love
If we are unkind, our pants are on fire
Spiritual growth is a good thing. We like progress. It reassures us that we’re heading in the right direction. There is, however, a danger. Something can creep in. It’s a sense of spiritual superiority. “I can’t believe so-and-so didn’t know what book of the Bible that story was from.” “That person should have done such-and-such … Continue reading If we are unkind, our pants are on fire
Advent: preparing for Jesus
The season of Advent has begun. Some of you will know what that means. Others won’t. That’s because some Christian traditions have emphasized it and others have not. It is the four-week season that leads up to Christmas. The word “advent” itself means “coming,” referring to the coming of Christ. On one level is about … Continue reading Advent: preparing for Jesus
Increasing in faith and love
The church in Thessalonica was having a tough time. They were getting assaulted on the outside (persecution) as well as on the inside (false teaching). Despite these hardships, they were doing well. Paul praised them with these words: “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith … Continue reading Increasing in faith and love
Love outpoured
In the past few devotionals we’ve been speaking about holiness. In more recent times, people tend to think that holiness is either (a) about hoity-toity self-righteousness, or (b) an inner state of being. The first is simply wrong, and the second is only half-true. Holiness is about being set-part for a special, godly purpose. If … Continue reading Love outpoured
