Christian Living

The Key To Successful Relationships

1 Corinthians 3.1-3 observes, I’m completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and with God. You’re acting like infants in relation to Christ, capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well, then, I’ll nurse you since you don’t seem capable of anything more. As long as you grab for what makes you feel good or makes you look important, are you really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everything’s going your way?

Selfishness and self-centeredness are the signs of immaturity in the Christian life. Immaturity runs rampant in the Church. We are hard pressed not to find an overabundance of selfishness and self-centeredness among those who claim Jesus as Savior. (more…)

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August 29, 2018
Christian Living / evangelism

God Lives On The Streets

Hebrews 13.16 observes, God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.

Following Jesus means living where He is, following Him to where He goes, and being with Him where He is active. God is not occupied with or limited to temples, though He may visit on occasion, rather He is a friend of sinners. (more…)

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May 8, 2018
evangelism

God is NOT a Secret to be Kept

Matthew 5.14-16 teaches us, God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

God is not a secret to be kept. A popular song echoes this refrain. The key to sharing Him with others is living as light-bearers and being transparent before others. (more…)

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January 5, 2018
Christian Living / faith

What Does It Mean to be Born Again?

John 3.3 records Jesus replying, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he

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cannot see the kingdom of God.”

In the 1970’s the evangelical Christian Church spoke much about being born again. So much, that those words began to create negative emotions toward the Church and it’s Christ. Yet, being born again or born from above or being born of the Spirit is what God in human form, Jesus, stated was required for entering into His eternal dwelling place. Why? (more…)

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December 13, 2017
Christian Living / heaven / Judgement

More Thoughts About Being Good

2 Chronicles 12.14 observes, he did evil because he was not determined to follow the LORD.

This past weekend I noticed some friends on Facebook taking a quiz that determined whether or not they would get to heaven. They all succeeded to earn their hoped for destination having their good deeds outstrip their sins by more than ten fold. No doubt this quiz was meant to be fun but it reinforces a couple of subtle but widely held beliefs. (more…)

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December 11, 2017
Christian Living / evangelism / obedience

What Are You Concerned About?

1 Peter 4.2 observes, he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires.

The focus of the Christian is to be the same focus as Jesus Christ the Lord. That focus is upon doing the will of God regardless of result or cost.

As humans we begin our lives self-focused. Everything is about us from infancy. The child portrays this truth early and often. We never evolve from this focus if we do not lose our lives by giving them over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This is why He observes that, unless we lose our lives for Him and His mission, we cannot keep them for eternal life. (more…)

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November 28, 2017
heaven / Theology

Access to God is Easy But Limited

Jonah 2.8 observes, those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs.

It appears offensive to some for others to claim that there is only one God in the universe. It makes sense that only one God exists. If there were two gods wouldn’t they battle it out to see who really was GOD? The definition of the word assumes supremacy over all.

Religion is the access point to God. False religions lead to false gods. Offense occurs when a person’s religion is deemed false. (more…)

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November 24, 2017
Christian Living

The Only Real Solution to Solving The World’s Problems

Hosea 12.6 commands, you must return to your God, by maintaining love and justice, and by waiting for your God to return to you.

Almost daily we are bombarded with tragic news. Senseless killings. Natural disasters. Awful accidents. The world is broken. The obviousness that something is terribly wrong is overwhelming. We want solutions but are we looking in the right place for the answers? (more…)

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November 8, 2017
Christian Living / heaven / Judgement / Suffering

What is the Goal of YOUR Religion?

Philippians 3.10 claims, my aim is to know Him, to experience the power of His resurrection, to share in His sufferings, and to be like Him in His death.

What is the goal of your religion? To get to heaven? This was not the goal of arguably the greatest Christian who was not also God. Perhaps the secret to his Christianity was the fact that he made his understanding, practice and experience of God now, not future. (more…)

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October 9, 2017
Christian Living / obedience

Discipline and the Christian Life

Ephesians 6.4 commands fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

While this verse is geared toward fathers and their role as spiritual leaders of their home, the commands can be applied more broadly to both our personal lives and the work all Christians are to engage of disciple making.

Specifically the disciplines and instructions we are to live and teach others. What does the discipline of the Lord even mean? (more…)

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October 6, 2017