“So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” – Ephesians 5:17 “How do I know what God’s will is?” It is one of the most common questions that we humans ask when faced with difficult decisions. What school should I go to? Should I pursue marriage with this person? Where should we live? Decisions confront us, […]
Read More“Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the Lord will have faithful love surrounding him.” – Psalm 32:10 Sometimes, I don’t know how to pray. I want to pray, but I just feel stuck and unsure of what to say. In the past, this used to frustrate me, and I would go […]
Read More“And don’t be drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit…” – Ephesians 5:18 “…be filled by the Spirit…” Check your Bible translation. Chances are it reads something different than “by the Spirit.” Beginning with the King James Version, most English translations will say, “be filled with the Spirit.” What’s the difference? More […]
Read More“So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” – Ephesians 5:17 “I have one rule while we are at youth camp this week,” the youth pastor said to all of us eager teenagers huddled together with our backpacks and sleeping bags. One rule didn’t sound too bad. Normally, there was a whole list of rules […]
Read MoreKaltenbach, Caleb. Messy Grace: How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction. Waterbrook Press, 2015. The subtitle of the book is a great description of the content of this work. Kaltenbach shares his personal biography of his parent’s divorce when he was 2 years old and the subsequent “coming out” of […]
Read More“He answered, “Whether or not he’s a sinner, I don’t know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!”” John 9:25 This man had it right. He could not explain how his life was transformed, but he knew it was transformed. He was blind from birth but now able to see. He could not explain why his life […]
Read More“Follow the Leader” When Jesus met Peter, He didn’t make Peter a leader. Peter brought natural gifting that has made many great leaders. Quick wit, passion, risk-taking ability, forcefulness, and courage are marks that cause leaders to rise in the ranks of military, business, and academic achievement. Peter had all of these marks… before Jesus. Peter […]
Read More“Because of this, the wisdom of God said…” – Luke 11:49 It’s an unusual expression in the gospels, “the wisdom of God.” Some say it is a reference to Jesus. Others say it refers to God Himself. As always, the context is the best place to look for help. Jesus is speaking, so it would be strange, even […]
Read More“The Lord says: “I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord and have not kept His statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray.” Amos 2:4 The nations around Judah were punished for their violence towards others. Judah, however, committed a far […]
Read More“For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1 “Where you look is where you will tend to go.” These words rung in my ears as I drove away from the house for my first solo drive behind the wheel. […]
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Think These Things 