The friend who can be silent
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 One of my favorite authors is Henri Nouwen. Consider the challenge to just listen that he shares: When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean […]
Our bodies belong to God
Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. – Romans 12:1b Our bodies belong to God. Kind of a strange thought isn’t it. But that’s what Paul says in Romans. Our bodies are to be a “living sacrifice.” Does your lifestyle…the things you do […]
The full armor
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. – Ephesians 6:11 I was recently reminded that the enemy of our souls has a strategy (schemes) to take us out; disqualify us; turn our testimony into irrelevance. That’s why we are to put on the full […]
Less than passionate
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. – Deuteronomy 6:5 If you see passion in someone’s life…you’ll usually find something fresh, new, filled with mystery. And the inverse is true… When I find my walk with God getting stale, stagnate, less than passionate, […]
A mundane response
Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today” – Hebrews 3:13a Today is all we have with those that we love. And the frequency of it can facilitate a mundane response. Does your wife, kids, co-workers see you as someone who encourages them? Can they point to a moment yesterday where you […]
Manufacture an example
Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. – 1 Timothy 4:12b When Paul wrote these words to Timothy, he was writing a young pastor of a new church. It was a lot to ask of a young man who was probably overwhelmed with all of […]
Solely fix your gaze
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us… – Hebrews 12:1c I’ve never been able to run for an extended period of time and not wanted to give up. To me running and perseverance go hand in hand. There are times (perhaps today) you will want to give up. Stop running. Stop […]
I’m just saying what I feel
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up. – Ephesians 4:29a Unwholesome talk and authenticity usually go hand in hand. “I’m just saying what I feel,” is the excuse we make to use words as battering rams against others. But authenticity and unwholesome […]
Courage in the fog of uncertainty
Be strong in The Lord and the power of his might. – Ephesians 6:10 Courage is alive within the fog of uncertainty. It takes a lot of courage to confess. To stand up for others. You could lose. You could fail. You could be ignored. Rejected. Abandoned. It takes courage to trust God. To be […]
Should we be managing risk?
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33 Leading up to this verse Jesus said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow.” Most guys I know worry about tomorrow. We worry about work, family, finances, temptation, etc. And in response we make choices that are […]