In the 1st century, the apostle Peter wrote a letter to encourage Christians who were feeling shunned and persecuted for their faith. Since they didn’t buy in to the dominant religions of the day, and would only worship the one true God of the Bible and order their lives according to his teachings, they were … Continue reading Expect to be different
theupdevo
With words AND actions
“Preach the gospel—and if you have to, use words.” In some quarters, this has become a popular expression which is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, the much-celebrated monk who was known for humbly serving others and who died in the early 1200’s. The expression is supposed to remind all Christians (not just ordained people) … Continue reading With words AND actions
Doing something “significant”
[My apologies to those of you who received this yesterday as well -- programming error!] What does it mean to do something “significant”? John Bowen tells a story about his friend Paul, a top student at Yale University. During his summers he was a camp counselor. He worked in a program that helped disabled young people. … Continue reading Doing something “significant”
To make life richer…
At a recent small group gathering, a friend named David shared something he had seen on a fridge magnet: “To make life richer, make life simpler.” We all nodded in agreement. But HOW do you make life richer by making it simpler? Here’s a tip for those among us who resonate with this idea deep … Continue reading To make life richer…
Until we are aware of God’s marching orders
Life is full of decisions. Small ones, easy ones, tough ones, and over-sized. But how do you make decisions in a faithful way? That is true to what God’s purposes might be for your life? Well, you’re right. That’s a big question. But here's some advice: Consult God FIRST. Carl George writes, “Until we are … Continue reading Until we are aware of God’s marching orders
Grace notes
You've heard the lie before: "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." The idea is that words—because they are invisible—cannot hurt us. But we know it isn't true. The put down, the threat, the lie that cuts deeper than a knife. Words can have a negative power. BUT... they … Continue reading Grace notes
Giving troubles over
Susanna Wesley lived a few hundred years ago. She gave birth to 19 children. 10 survived infancy. To say she was busy is an understatement. Plus, she had a difficult life—marital troubles, financial hardship, and illness were frequent visitors. And that’s not to mention the pain and difficulty of coping with the death of 9 … Continue reading Giving troubles over
Blame
Blaming. Other. People. It’s easy to do. And to be honest, there are times when other people do in fact need to be called to account for having done something wrong or hurtful. But what I’m talking about today is being quick to notice when OTHER people have done something wrong... but being slow to notice … Continue reading Blame
God finishes what he starts
We were talking in a restaurant on a Thursday afternoon while eating high-calorie French fries. My friend was telling me how down he was feeling about his spiritual progress. He felt he should be further ahead… and that he often struggled with the sin of pride… and that his devotional life always felt like work. … Continue reading God finishes what he starts
The cure for poor I-sight
It’s no secret that our society is highly individualistic. It often seems like everyone’s elbowing for room in a me-first world where there’s only so much happiness, opportunity or money to go around. From a Christian point of view, the problem is that we’re supposed to put God first—not ourselves. Jesus said, “If anyone would … Continue reading The cure for poor I-sight
