life is heavy for the strongest shoulders
Our challenges always build. A ninety-five-year-old man sits in his chair with a wandering mind because a century cannot pass without many blows. That much life is heavy for the strongest shoulders. A young man might feel bold; he might feel courageous, gambling with life and death. And he might be courageous. But he trusts […]
Remind Yourself
“So, in practice we should constantly be reminding ourselves who we are. We need to learn to talk to ourselves, and ask ourselves questions: ‘Don’t you know? Don’t you know the meaning of conversion and baptism? Don’t you know that you have been united to Christ in his death and resurrection? Don’t you know that […]
the other side has snipers
Hi George, The Bible tells us to take every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:5) and “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Phil. 4:8). This acknowledges that this […]
God’s emotionality is constructive
Though God experiences responsively and feels deeply, we should not think He is controlled by His emotions, or that He “flies off the handle,” or is “shocked and rocked” by our actions. God controls His own emotions; He manages His moods. In the perfect harmony of His pure being, His longing, thinking, choosing, and feeling […]
Remorse is not repentance
“Repent,” he says early one Sunday morning. “Repent.” “The word itself means ‘to turn around.’ There can be no forgiveness without repentance, without a turning around. Remorse is not enough. Judas had remorse. But did he repent? Did he ask Jesus Christ for forgiveness and vow to change his ways? No, he went off and […]
Peace Child Revisited
When I worked for Community Christian Ministries, many years ago a book about foreign missions came out. It was the story about a young family who went to New Guinea to work with head hunters and to share the Gospel with them for the first time. The book was called Peace Child. Well, its been […]
Counting the Cost of Sexual Immorality
I know this article is a couple of years old, but I thought it was worth sending out again—just in case you missed it the first time.
Shame
Introduction: When Ed Welch begins a lecture on shame he often asks the audience if they have ever experienced shame. He pauses and adds ‘debilitating shame.” Most of the time, everyone in the room raises his or her hand. When describing what shame is, one author likens it to the response of a supreme court […]