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.
Category: Faith
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.
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.
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.
Success or failure in following God boils down to one thing.
Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent… – John 6:29, AMP I’m an 80/20 Principle kind of guy, and the reason I am is because I am just not talented enough to juggle more than two or three things at… Continue reading Success or failure in following God boils down to one thing.
God is a big believer in adoption.
God sent His Son…that we might be adopted… – Galatians 4:4-5, AMP I have several family members and friends who were either adopted as children or have adopted children. Through conversations with some of these, I’ve come to understand that many children who have been adopted struggle with feelings of rejection and abandonment by the… Continue reading God is a big believer in adoption.
Count your many blessings, name them one by one.
His compassions fail not…They are new every morning… – Lamentations 3:22-23, KJV I serve as an usher at our church. During a recent Sunday evening service, I had an errand to run that took me into the building on our campus that houses our gym, our cafeteria, and several classrooms for our Christian school. As… Continue reading Count your many blessings, name them one by one.
Don’t let your circumstances steal away your hope.
His feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in chains of iron and his soul entered into the iron. Psalm 105:18, AMP Little is said in the Bible regarding how Joseph felt while he was being betrayed by his brothers. In Psalm 105:18, we catch a glimpse of Joseph’s mind during his time of trial. Cast… Continue reading Don’t let your circumstances steal away your hope.
Don’t give up on the vision just because it has grown a little dim.
Where there is no vision, the people perish… – Proverbs 29:18, KJV What happens when the bright, shining vision God has given you turns dim? God has shown you the work He made you specifically to do, and when you first saw it, excitement and awe filled your soul. You understood clearly what it was… Continue reading Don’t give up on the vision just because it has grown a little dim.
Which shepherd are YOU going to follow?
When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. – Matthew 9:36, AMP In July 2005, the following story hit news outlets around the world: 450 sheep leapt to their deaths in the Turkish… Continue reading Which shepherd are YOU going to follow?