I see shattered, You see whole. I see broken, but You see beautiful. And You're helping me to believe, You're restoring me piece by piece. There's nothing too dirty that You can't make worthy. You wash me in mercy. I am clean.
Read MoreOur enemies will themselves be frightened at their impending destruction when we corporately come together as we were intended to from the beginning and start living as the body of Christ—and that begins by loving one another through the power of the Holy Spirit, under compulsion of unconditional obedience and submission to God's Word and its position of absolute authority in our lives.
Read MoreThe beauty of Philippians 1:19-26 is that Paul provides a transparent glimpse into the struggle between his own flesh and spirit as he wrestled with the majesty of heaven compared to this fallen world. Knowing he was born-again, Paul longed to spend eternity with Jesus. Yet despite the glory heaven promised, Paul understood that obedience to God's Word and His will took precedent over personal desire.
Read MoreAs Christians living in a world that is watching our every move, how we respond to adversity can be the greatest witnessing tool we have at our disposal. What makes things difficult and/or counter-productive though is that we're human and our flaws, imperfections and insecurities cause us to shrink back when troubles come, rather than embrace the moment with a positive frame of mind.
Read MoreIt has been said that people are the greatest blessing and curse of ministry. It has also been said that more pastors resign on Monday than any other day of the week due to the highs and lows they succumb to emotionally, physically, and mentally as a result of their jobs. Why?
Read MoreEvery day of our lives we manage priorities. Whether personal or professional, we shift the bulk of our time, energy and resources toward what (we perceive) needs to be done rather than what we would like to get done. However, there are times when opportunity presents itself and we choose to cater to our wants at the expense of our needs.
Read MoreAs self-proclaimed Christians, we are tasked by the authority of Almighty God to cast off fear and passivity, and embrace opportunities which stretch our comfort levels. The ultimate goal is expanding our capacity to love others by humbling ourselves.
Read MoreEveryone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
Read MoreTruthfully, only God knows the heart of man which Jesus specifically speaks to in Matthew 7:21-23. It is a sobering reality though that people we know and love will never spend eternity in heaven. It is a far greater shock to know that simply declaring oneself as "Christian" provides no certainty whatsoever whether he/she will spend eternity in heaven one day.
Read MoreIt has been said that what we feed our minds with will determine our appetite, therefore we are wise to discern what we allow our minds to dwell upon vs. what we should resist.
Read MoreThe Golden Rule is one of the most popular teachings in the world today, originated by Jesus and commonly accepted within our secular culture as well. Its premise is simple: "Treat others the same way we would like to be treated."
Read MoreAt times it is easy to read Matthew 7:7-11 and conclude God will answer every prayer we utter provided we ask in faith. The challenge is that God is not our puppet, genie or Santa Claus whose supreme desire is to make us happy, healthy and wealthy 24/7/365. He simply does not think and act based on our limited knowledge and experience and submit to our authority. Rather, He works through His omniscience according to His sovereign will and for His Glory (not ours).
Read MoreWhen we consider that Matthew 7:6 immediately follows five verses admonishing the right and wrong ways to judge others, we begin to see that Jesus shifts His attention from judgment to discernment in this verse. In many ways, discernment is the thread woven throughout all six verses, for how can we know how to respond to others if we are not weighing every circumstance, motivation and intent?
Read MoreIf we delve beneath surface layers, we begin to discover that being held accountable for our thoughts and actions is uncomfortable to most people. It requires us to not only be transparent with who we are, but vulnerable enough to willingly be held accountable.
Read MoreWhether general anxiety, panic, social anxiety, specific phobias, obsessive compulsion, post-traumatic stress or depression, the fact remains that over 18% of the American population have fallen victim to varying degrees of mental illnesses or disorders that coexist with anxiety (bipolar disorder, eating disorders, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, substance abuse, sleep disorders, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, etc.).
Read MoreThere are two types of slavery prevalent in the world today: Slavery that is forced and slavery that is chosen. Forced slavery or "modern-day" slavery is commonly recognized in our culture as human trafficking, but it encompasses much more.
Read MoreIn a culture fueled by visual stimulation through countless media outlets and forums, Matthew 6:22-23 is indeed an enormous pill to swallow. It is a tremendous platform to identify how the church of Jesus Christ is suffering mightily at gaining self-control over lust of the eyes.
Read MoreIf there was ever a summary verse that depicts the battle between good and evil, heaven and the world, it would be Matthew 6:19-21. The reference to "treasures on earth" speaks to the intoxication of worldly pleasures, while "treasures in heaven" points to spiritual blessings which have infinite, eternal value.
Read MoreThe Christmas story is full of intrigue, excitement and anticipation. When we think of Christmas, various images come to mind of Jesus, Mary and Joseph; angels, shepherds and wise men; and a stable manger, because there was no room at the inn. However, tucked within the pageantry on display and imagery we envision are raw emotions the characters must have been feeling in the moment.
Read MoreIf there is one spiritual discipline which has fallen out of fashion in the Christian church, it would be fasting. It is not that people struggle understanding what fasting is, but rather many possess a lack of trust that fasting produces a substantial benefit worth the effort.
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