There’s no future in two little words I’m trying to put behind me
So much might have been be so different. But that thinking is a rabbit hole from which I’d never escape. I’m learning the peace of “We have this moment.”
How to banish anxiety about whatever our daily concerns may be
I may not be worried about what I’ll eat or whether I have the right clothes to wear. That doesn’t mean I’m not anxious about many things.
Why our choice to focus on God over stuff will never fail us
Many folks I know are thinking a lot about inheritance. But Jesus told one inquirer to focus on something more important.
Here’s a four-letter word we shouldn’t hesitate to say or do
It’s a word that goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, when things were as they were intended, and I suspect will still be with us when all things are back the way God intended.
Jesus is Lord of the harvest. He sends us to be sacrificial partners
Jesus sent them out two by two. And he’s still sending today. Each of us must decide what’s keeping us from a partnership with the Lord of the harvest.
How to avoid making the very same mistake the Samaritans made
The Samaritans rejected the disciples of Jesus because the mission of Jesus wasn’t their mission. Is it possible for believers to make the same mistake today?
Sunday review: July 18-23
The vegetables are growing, and the harvest is nearing. What’s true in our landscapes can be true in our spiritual lives as well. Posts here this week can help any of us bear more fruit for God.
Three tips for weeding your garden, and other untended places
When it comes to weeding, I’m afraid my thoughts go faster to the devil than to God. Reflections from a summertime gardener.
Have you learned what Bono knows? ‘Two are better than one.’
Bono gives us one of the most impressive examples of teamwork. The question is why I too often try to go it alone.
So far and yet so near: the apostle Paul’s service long-distance
For some reason all of the remote work in today’s business environment made me look differently at the letter to the Colossians.
Agony, majesty, pride, and surrender—all in one short passage
When we choose to accept the definition of greatness that Jesus gave his disciples, then our path of servant leadership will lead to many being astonished at the majesty of God at work around us.
God is good—even when anxiety comes to the darkness of night
Nighttime can be wonderful, but it can also be a time of great anxiety. God has promised to be with us through the watches of the night. And many who are awake are there for us.
Two life changers: The gospel is for everyone. God’s power is for me
The first truth, the magnitude of God’s invitation and the toil required to extend it, might overwhelm us. But not when we grasp the blessing and the potential of the second truth in this passage.
Sunday review: July 11-16
What does it really mean to follow Jesus? Decide on a fresh answer to that question as you read these quotes from this week’s posts—and maybe choose one or two posts to read completely again.
A remarkable restoration, a tragic figure, a lesson for all time
A professional actor reflects on a remarkable theater and the tragic figure who made it famous.
Jesus turns upside down our attitude toward winning and losing
From the time of our childhood, we’ve been hearing admonitions and instructions to save, save, save! That’s what make Jesus’ statement about losing all the more remarkable.
Deciding who Jesus is: the path to peace and resolving conflict
The speaker’s advice, “Sit silently with God,” fits perfectly with the challenge to aright ourselves spiritually: “Decide who Jesus is.”
God’s work in our lives is daily, so much more than a one-time event
When we see God act in a situation that has been stressing us, we laugh for joy. But sometimes he moves slowly, and we do well to look for his work day by day.
Sooner or later, most will ask, ‘How do I know God is with me?’
When you thought you had the answer but find yourself in a tough situation, it is normal to want to verify your answer. Once your answer has been verified, it’s time to embrace it and trust the outcome. But how do we know it is a divine answer and not just something we made up in our heads?
Praying for each other: the believer’s mandate and privilege
If you have been following Jesus for very long you know how important it is to have people praying for you. We learn from Paul how and why to pray for each other.