In the previous few devotionals I said that honouring God in a big situation is 99% preparation. We know this to be true in other aspects of our lives. Let’s say that someone wants give their child some good advice for a problem they’re dealing with. Over the course of a week, that conversation probably … Continue reading Followers of the Way, not of the moment
spiritual growth
Honouring God in big situations
Jesus did big things. So did his early followers. They spoke boldly, even in the face of violent opposition. They loved enemies, turned the other cheek, gave freely, and laid down their lives for others. Too often, we find ourselves being people-pleasers instead of God-pleasers. Instead of saying or doing something which honours God but … Continue reading Honouring God in big situations
Things you keep doing to keep growing
When someone says the word "habits," what do you think about? Perhaps it's a bad habit like chewing your nails. Or perhaps it's a good habit like eating fruit with your breakfast. I'm a word nerd so I looked up some background on the word "habit." It has a variety of uses. But I find … Continue reading Things you keep doing to keep growing
As a dog returns to its vomit
Proverbs are short, memorable statements in the Bible meant to help us live wisely daily. One of them is Proverbs 26:11: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” Wow, talk about memorable! What principle is it trying to teach us? We should learn from our mistakes. We should not foolishly … Continue reading As a dog returns to its vomit
The rain was God’s tears
Before I was ordained as a pastor, I served for a summer as a student at a church called St. David’s. We held a Vacation Bible Camp. On one of the days we taught about Noah and the flood. We often think about it as a children’s story. After all it has a bunch of … Continue reading The rain was God’s tears
Use what you learn to serve God
We’ve been talking about learning from our mistakes and failures. In fact, when it comes to serving God, they don’t disqualify you, they educate you. Let’s consider the example of Peter. Before Jesus’ crucifixion, he denied knowing him three times. That is a very serious offense, especially in Jesus’ time of need! After the resurrection, … Continue reading Use what you learn to serve God
Learn from your mistakes
“We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). We all make mistakes. Do you wallow in yours, or do you learn from them? A junior executive at IBM lost over ten million dollars in a risky venture. He was called into the office of Tom Watson Sr., the founder of IBM. The junior executive asked, … Continue reading Learn from your mistakes
Every year you grow, you will find me bigger
“Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed” (Revelation 5:5). In a book by C.S. Lewis called Prince Caspian, a girl named Lucy sees a lion named Aslan. She hasn’t seen him in many years. He has changed; he is bigger. “Aslan, you’re bigger,” she says. … Continue reading Every year you grow, you will find me bigger
Walking with Jesus
In John 5:32 Jesus said: “There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.” In yesterday’s devotional I said that the key to weathering a storm is who you’re weathering it with. Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is a healthy support system—and that … Continue reading Walking with Jesus
Yield your thoughts
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). I … Continue reading Yield your thoughts
