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We must simply receive. Honestly, this is one of the hardest things for me. When someone gives a gift, the hardest thing is to honor the gift and just receive it. When someone gives a compliment, the hardest thing is to just receive it. I want to earn it. Or,
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We need to be vigilant. The world has many ways to pull us away from God. The world can distract us with stuff. The world can confuse us with its logic. The world can make us so busy we don’t have the time to devote to God. The follower
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Following the way of Jesus is harder than it looks. Jesus came to the earth, embraced human nature, and taught among us so He could ultimately give it all up and die for someone else’s sake. He set a high bar. It’s a daunting example to follow. Take
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“Well done, faithful servant.” Do we want to be a servant? Doesn’t the world chafe against the idea of self? Our culture is about being yourself, doing what you want, and everything being okay. How often do we hear the example of submission to another as something to be
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God wants to be a part of life with us. On a spiritual level, this statement is a bit absurd. He created life. Whether we want Him or not, He is a part of life. In fact, God sustains life. Yet, there is more to it than fact. Even though
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Through the cross, God demonstrates His willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice to fix the greatest possible break in relationship. Paul understands this when he writes Romans 5:7-10. The depth of God’s love is that while we could not save ourself, He died so we could be
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God knows our hearts are hard, that’s why Jesus went to the cross. Above all, He is a loving God. His forgiveness stems from that love. We cannot be perfect, but we can be repentant when we are not perfect. The Pharisees come to Jesus to test Him as
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Through the repentance and forgiveness that comes through God’s judgment, we can be at peace with one another. Nobody is perfect. We will all make mistakes. We will all rub one another the wrong way. Through God’s Word, through conversations with others, through our prayer life with God
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With great power comes great responsibility. Great people will lead others; the question is whether their example leads others to God or into worldly pursuits? Elsewhere, Jesus says people of the world are like sheep looking for a shepherd. The people of this world want to be led somewhere. In
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The world will know we are His disciples because of our love. It’s a wonderful thought. The ideal state of the church is an expression of God’s love so strong people are drawn to it. The cold reality of our world is that it can always use more
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Servant leadership implies costly intimacy. Following God’s will involves effort. Developing relationship with people creates intimacy. The more we help, the more effort it takes. The more relationship develops, the more intimate it becomes. When we combine the two – developing relationship with those we serve, it becomes costly intimacy.
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If we want to be godly people, proximity to God is a necessity. I love this thought in connection with the idea of praying without ceasing. The more we are consciously aware of the presence of God and thus are in relationship to Him, the greater our chance to be