Jesus is the point of our lives. He is the leader of our faith and the one who remains faithful in our lives until the end. He is to be our focus. And from him, spiritual health and life will flow into our souls and out of our lives. But today so many other things distract or hold us.
Read More discouragement, social media, focus, soul care, harmful behaviours, faithSometimes life is really painful because of the correction we are experiencing from God. Why would a loving God willingly correct us? This question is an honest cry of our hearts and in many ways cannot be answered sufficiently in this bit of scripture alone. And yet, there is an incredible verse tucked into it …
Read More relationships, correction, healing, peaceWhen was the last time you heard God speak to you? Did you respond with gratitude and action or did you completely ignore and disregard what he said? This portion of scripture is both fearful and awesome. There’s everything in it from Mt. Sinai and the giving of the law, to Mt. Zion where everything will be made new …
Read More listening, God speaksOur culture is so confused by what love actually is. Is it simply having sex with another person? Or is it getting our way all the time? What about a tingly feeling? Or is love being happy 24/7? What exactly is it in relation to others?
Hebrews 13:1 says love is “being concerned about each other.”
Read More commitment, grace, loveHave you ever listened to a commencement speech wondering if it had a coherent message or was it more of a random list of impossible attainments for a well-lived life? Maybe it was the one you heard when you graduated from university. This next section of chapter 13 appears to be a list of disjointed thoughts.
Read More grace, worship, glorifying God, sharing with othersWhen something hard happens in your life, like unexpected illness or financial difficulty, the dissolution of a relationship or the loss of a dream, how do you respond? Do you pray, committing your pain and confusion to God? Or do you pick yourself up and carry on as if nothing has changed?
Read More control, prayer, Good ShepherdRecently, I had one of those spiritual Aha! moments . . . I was the guest preacher at a Christian community on Lake Michigan where my family owns a cottage. My grandparents were strong Christians who began going there in 1938. It is a place where my mom’s faith was formed and shaped by my grandmother’s, who eventually passed it on to me.
Read More faith, legacy, héritageShame can silence us. This might happen when we see a homeless person on the street or a refugee child with no shoes or a widow who needs a helping hand. In our shame and their humiliation, we may be tempted to turn away from them. But as followers of Jesus, as men and women filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit …
Read More gospel, shame, sharing the good newsHow do we persist in telling others about Jesus despite the difficulties we face in ministry? This is an uncomfortable question in our culture which does all it can to deny pain and find happiness in everything. To some, experiencing difficulty can appear feeble or pathetic.
Read More endurance, perseverance, discipline, difficultiesHow do we join God in restoring people from the lives they are trapped in? Do our words matter? How about our actions? According to Paul, yes and yes!
I’ve been reflecting lately on the importance of those who have helped restore me from the damage my choices sometimes produce.
Read More freedom, gentleness, being trapped, helping people