Did you know that you cannot hear and understand a question and not at least think of an answer? Let’s try it. I’ll ask you a simple question, and you try not to think of an answer. Ready? (I bet you just answered “yes” in your head.) Here we go. When is your birthday? Without … Continue reading Do You Ask Good Questions? 3 Reasons You Need To
Category: Spiritual Growth
Shooting at the Wrong Basket: Three Ways Your Heart May Be Deceiving You About Your Spiritual Growth
It was the easiest basket she ever scored. Her teammate passed her the ball, and off she went down the court. She confounded the defense with her mad handles, and before they knew what had hit them, she was at the basket, scoring an easy two points. Everyone in the gym was shouting her name. … Continue reading Shooting at the Wrong Basket: Three Ways Your Heart May Be Deceiving You About Your Spiritual Growth
Scarlett O’Hara and Sacrifice
I’ve recently been reading Gone with the Wind, the great American novel set against the backdrop of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Though I’ve read it a couple times before, this time through has been a little different. The hardships of war have seemed a little closer to home, given the crisis affecting our world … Continue reading Scarlett O’Hara and Sacrifice
The Unholy Trinity of Idolatry
Read almost any Christian living book from a Reformed perspective, and you’re almost sure to run across this line attributed to John Calvin: “Our hearts are a factory of idols.” This quotation is helpful because it tells us uncomfortable truth though an image of something familiar. Though Calvin knew nothing of conveyor belts and assembly … Continue reading The Unholy Trinity of Idolatry
Hungry for Normal
I have a confession to make. I’m naïve. The day etched into the memories of anyone over the age of twenty-five or thirty, is likewise implanted in mine. I remember September 11, 2001, better than any other single day of high school. It began quite normally; because I lived in the Mountain Time Zone, I … Continue reading Hungry for Normal
Blessed Are the Gentle
Among the first words Jesus spoke in public ministry were these: “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). We also find gentleness among the fruit of the Spirit listed for us in Galatians 5:22-23. Finally, James lists it as an attribute of heavenly wisdom (3:17). In short, gentleness isn’t optional
Growing in Grace One Word at a Time
“But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 3:18). Spiritual growth isn’t an option. It’s a command. The Christian life knows nothing of cruise control or auto-pilot. While God is at work in us, we are also supposed to be at work in sanctification (the fancy theological term … Continue reading Growing in Grace One Word at a Time
