Daily Archives: April 25, 2014

2 posts

Self-control: saying no to your flesh and yes to God

Biblically, self-control is not a behavior issue, as in “get control of yourself.” Rather, it is an issue of the gospel. Self-control is actively following what God wants via the instruction of the Spirit in his word. This makes self-control an issue of walking by the Spirit.  (Galatians 5:13-23) Therefore, self-control is not about changing behavior. Self-control is the good yield of the Holy Spirit’s work producing his fruit. It is helpful to describe self-control this way: Self-control is the ability to say no to my wrong desires and yes to what God wants me to do. Prayer for Self-Control: Father, please help me to say no to sin and yes to obedience and pleasing you. I really want to […]

What’s in the wallet of your heart?

Winning the lottery offers an immediate cure for all of our worries. Or for those of us not into gambling, a close friend or relative winning the lottery and giving us a nice piece of the lottery pie would work just as well. These thoughts are subtle temptations to doubt the value of God’s word.   The truth is you already have a gift that is literally worth more than millions dollars! That gift is the Bible. I know this sounds idealistic, spiritual, but not practical.  However, it is vital not to miss the obvious illustrations that the Bible provides to show how practical it is. For example look at Psalm 119:72:   “The law from your mouth is more […]