Him we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God)…For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me. Colossians 1:28-29, AMP What are Christians supposed to do when we… Continue reading Here’s what you do when your culture hates you.
Month: September 2013
You’re not alone. Even Paul despaired.
…we were so utterly and unbearably weighed down and crushed that we despaired even of life [itself]. – 2 Corinthians 1:8, AMP It is very easy to look at pastors, missionaries, and others who have given themselves to a career in ministry as some sort of superheroes. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound,… Continue reading You’re not alone. Even Paul despaired.
This is one of the hardest prayers you’ll ever pray.
Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me… – Psalm 139:23-24, AMP One sign of a dedicated Christian is that the Christian will not hesitate to pray Psalm 139:23-24. To pray Psalm 139:23-24, and to mean it, is… Continue reading This is one of the hardest prayers you’ll ever pray.
Are you really God’s disciple?
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother…” – Luke 14:26, AMP Can you really consider yourself a disciple of Christ? Most Christians would be quick to answer, “Yes!”, to this question, but how many of us would be telling the truth? There is a difference between being a… Continue reading Are you really God’s disciple?
To be extraordinary, you have to first make up your mind.
Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, – Matthew 28:19, AMP Although God must give us the ability to do anything worthwhile for Him, He leaves the choice of whether or not to go do what we’ve been… Continue reading To be extraordinary, you have to first make up your mind.
God is the glue that holds it all together.
And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together). – Colossians 1:17, AMP My wife teaches high school math and science, and I always know when she is teaching physics. While riding in the car, walking around the house, or watching one of our children’s sporting events,… Continue reading God is the glue that holds it all together.
God knows how Fred feels.
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness [for him]; and he ran and embraced him and kissed him [fervently]. – Luke 15:20, AMP There are few things on the planet sweeter than devoted love. Most people know this, which is why stories… Continue reading God knows how Fred feels.
Here’s the cure for a crisis of hope.
…its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances… – 1 Corinthians 13:7, AMP A soul without hope is a dreadful thing. Without hope, despair and dread run amuck, and a soul so afflicted has little or no desire to carry on. Without a doubt, a soul without hope is a soul in crisis. When faced with… Continue reading Here’s the cure for a crisis of hope.
The key to having Christ’s character is found in this one word.
…the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13, AMP If you were in Solomon’s place, and God gave you the opportunity to ask for anything in the universe, what would you ask for? Wisdom, as Solomon requested? Peace? Happiness? Freedom from financial stress or personal strain or anxiety of any kind? Our answers… Continue reading The key to having Christ’s character is found in this one word.
When running the race, be intense, aggressive, and don’t hold back.
So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours. – 1 Corinthians 9:24, AMP As I watched my daughter’s soccer game today, I noticed a trend among many of the 8-year olds scattered around the field. All of them were aggressive in defending their goal from the attack… Continue reading When running the race, be intense, aggressive, and don’t hold back.