Thanksgiving gives opportunity to pause, think for a moment about all that we have... And give thanks. But, let's be honest, this is always easy. When Paul exhorts us to "Give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you," we sometimes want to respond back, "But what about...?" Because life is hard. Suffering comes. The pain is real. And then what? How do we give thanks in THESE circumstances?
Jesus tells His disciples to be like salt in the world, and we naturally think 'flavor'. In this post you'll be inspired and challenged as we consider some OTHER qualities of salt that we as followers of Christ ought to exhibit.
Healthy relationships don't just happen. They require work and maintenance just like gardens. And weeds will always creep up. If we want our relationships to flourish we must embrace the labor required to cultivate, plant, water, and weed. Neglecting this work will always lead to ugly, not beauty... to death, not life. But healthy relationships cooperatively begin with you and I personally...
I thought that serving the Lord needed to FEEL hard, FEEL like work, FEEL like sacrifice. I needed to feel its COST, not its joy. So I offered to clean the church toilets...
We thirst for love. And we want to share it with others. But how? In this follow-up post to "What's Love Got To Do With It?", we discover how to both receive and give the thirst-quenching, life-giving water of genuine love.
Like a puzzle, so many pieces were in place. But no matter how much was done I couldn't help but fix my eyes on the empty spaces that begged to be filled. And then one day it was like God walked over to my giant masterpiece of a puzzle and with one divine swipe of His hand sent the thing flying across the room. Thousands of pieces scattered to the floor. Only one piece remained...
Stop trying to be like Jesus? I never thought I'd hear a pastor say THAT! It was counter-intuitive and risky... and exactly what we need to hear. Read on to discover the truth about where real life, joy, and pleasure are found!
As the new year ushers in its fresh start, with it comes opportunity to pause and ask ourselves: Is there anything that needs changing? Any areas of improvement I'd like to tackle? I was surprised when a late night soak in the hot tub turned into a prayer that would become my New Year's Resolution...to gouge out my eye. Today I offer insight into three areas of sin I've personally struggled with during my decade affair with Facebook...
Christmas!...A season of wonder and awe, gratitude and giving, of joy and delight! Or - is it? Truth is - there is a real Grinch who steals Christmas... a thief by nature and he loves to rob us of joy: Expectation.
Be thankful. Easy enough. ...when things are good. But how in the world do we give thanks in the midst of suffering, injustice, and tragedy?