Dallas Willard says we live in the consumer Christianity age. That is an age in which people delight in God’s grace of forgiveness, when they use the services of the church for special occasions, but do not engage their inner life, their inmost thoughts, feelings, and intentions to serve Christ or His Kingdom agenda. He…
Historic world leaders like Alexander the Great, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are notable for conquering, teaching, leading or influencing society. Such people are often called “great.” Yet none of them rises to the greatness of Jesus the Christ. When God’s angel visited Mary to announce that God would use…
Carl Boberg wrote the song, “How Great Thou Art.” In one stanza, he wrote, “When through the woods and forest grades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly through the trees; when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and see the brook and feel the gentle breeze; then sings my soul, my Savior…
In 1978, Jim Jones led over 900 people to commit suicide in South America. He lured them to an isolated area promising better social and economic benefits. When he could not deliver on his promise, he led them to commit suicide. God freed his people from Egyptian slavery and was about to take them into…
One counselor says when you’re praying for an unruly child, base your prayer on one of God’s promises. Reflect on God’s character, ask God to give your child discernment and give you wisdom of how and when to speak or be silent. Ask God to bring back your child and prepare your heart for the…
Good parents love their children; they protect and provide for their physical needs. They also discipline them when they disobey. If not, children grow up to be unruly and obnoxious. Parents often struggle to balance these two aspects of love. The best model for balancing love with character-shaping discipline is God Himself. After showing love…
In a hymn expressing his strong desire to reflect the character of God, Thomas Chisholm wrote: “Oh to be like Thee, full of compassion, loving, forgiving, tender and kind, helping the helpless, cheering the fainting, seeking the wand’ring sinner to find. Oh to be like Thee, Oh! To be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer, pure as…
Followers of Christ know that while we use our free will in decision making, we also have a loving Heavenly Father working behind the scenes enabling us to reach our destiny. We see this at work among the ancient people of Israel. In this snippet from Joshua Ch. 24, God speaks to say: “To Isaac…
People in their 40s and 50s often experience a midlife crisis. They may become apathetic in work, and dread getting up in the morning; life may seem purposeless; their plans may not be working as they expected; they may get jealous of others; be successful but not satisfied; confused or unclear about their future. As…
Effective advertising gains our attention, provides facts about a product, appeals to our emotions, and calls us to act—to buy. Ads appeal to our mind, emotions and volition. Those same traits are at play in all we do and they, in effect, shape our moral and spiritual values. It is why God, through Moses, told…