Sacrifice:: Acknowledge
Title: Deadly Cargo Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. – Matthew 10:32 Martyrdom. Not exactly a pleasant topic, but one repeatedly addressed in Scripture—including the context for this one—as well as throughout church history and in headlines today. Apparently, holding a belief that a benevolent creator has […]
Fri // Steel :: Example
Title: It can be done Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. – 1 Timothy 4:12b Years ago, I presided at the funeral of my closest and dearest aunt, my mother’s only sister. While she was in no way “outspoken” about her faith in Christ […]
Fri // Steel :: Integrity
Title: Don’t hand it over I will not deny my integrity. – Job 27:5b I periodically utilize a method designed to reinforce someone’s resolve to resist old beliefs about themselves and begin thinking anew. It involves identifying a truth they wish to uphold and handing them a couch pillow. “We’re going to play a little […]
Sat // Build :: Authentic
Title: Honor and Respect Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up. – Ephesians 4:29a Recently our church staff revisited several core values that shape our work environment. To function as a unified team, the need for unanimous “buy-in” on several fundamental values […]
Thu // Warrior :: Defend
Title: God is Calling “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” – Psalm 82:3 The saying, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” comes to mind upon studying the above verse, especially in its context. God is […]
Mon // Surrender :: Confess
Title: Confess and repent Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. – James 5:16 I’ve learned much about confession over the years. Sadly, due more to personal experience than earnest study. I’ve learned that […]
Fri // Steel :: Passion
Title: Guarded hearts Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. – Deuteronomy 6:5 Funny. I just glanced over this verse and noticed the autocorrect had inserted “hurt,” where I must have mistyped “heart.” As I pondered the “mistake,” I realized that what prevents […]
Tue // Fuel :: Spirit
Title: Third law of physics So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. – Gal 5:16 Newton’s Third Law of Physics, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,” suggests that forces always come in pairs and act equally and oppositely from each other. […]
Wed // Grit :: Perseverance
Title: Call out Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us… Hebrews 12:1c Typically, I abstain from corporate motivational posters. The one exception: A majestic sunrise, underscored with, “PERSEVERANCE: Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising each time we fall.” Honestly, there are moments I am tempted to […]
Tue // Fuel :: Listen
Title: Light Salt He says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. – Psalm 46:10a Ever fret over the economy? Worry about godlessness in the nation? Wonder how God can allow evil and oppression to continue? Even if you haven’t […]