You should not be surprised when people are irritating. Actually, you should expect them to be. It is time to stop being shocked that people sin. Isn’t that negative thinking? No, this is realistic thinking that is in line with God’s commands. Here are a few examples: Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 Do not be overcome by evil, but evil with good. Romans 12:21 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 These are four of many commands about how to address irritating behavior. […]
Jay Younts
2262 posts
Flowers and gifts on Mother’s Day are good things. But there is more. When we read the exhortation of Proverbs 31:31 to honor mothers and wives for all that they have done, we are not rating their performance, but instead, we are honor them with gratitude simply for who they are. Motherhood is part of the plan of God to bring glory to himself. For Christians, we have the additional blessing of honoring our mothers for who they are in Christ. Your mother, like any other mother, has not been a perfect mom. However, she is living out her role in bringing new life to the earth and nurturing it. She provides warmth and encouragement to her family when no one […]
Sometimes, the most compelling reasons to believe in God’s creation of the Universe and human life are the ones that can’t be measured by scientific theory. Mothers are the creation of God. This truth simply is, just as God simply is. When God sent Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, he told Moses to tell the people that I AM has sent me to rescue you. The proof of God lies in the reality that he exists. There is no human test that can prove God. He is who he is! Mothers were created by God. They did not evolve. Mothers as mothers do not become better over the course of history. They are what they […]
The gospel is about what God has accomplished for you. It is not about what you did for God. If you make the gospel about others serving you, you distort its message. If your children see that you are upset because you are not being served, you distort the gospel message. When you and I distort the power of the gospel we fail to show its power and we fail to show the beauty of Christ! Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.The gift of heaven is a gift anticipated with trembling, but received with peace. Matthew 13:44 It is a gift seldom planned for, but is given according to the most loving of plans. It is a gift that exposes our faith, but is given in faithfulness. It is a gift that we are tempted to exchange for the treasures of this life. It is a gift looked upon with doubt, but, once given, removes all doubt. It is a gift we wanted to avoid, but then embraced with […]
The most important goal for you and your family is to grow closer to God in every area of your life. Below Tedd and Margy Tripp hold out three key passages to build upon. Reflect deeply on what Joshua 24, Psalm 48 and Psalm 73 have to say to you this day! Strive to grow into a mutual relationship of living and working together for Christ’s kingdom. The Christian life is lived in a community. Throughout redemptive history God’s people have witnessed God’s awesome deeds and gloried together in his protection and provision. Future generations are also in view. We must have the same sense of expectation as we talk of God’s faithfulness and provision for our physical family and […]
Politicians and elected officials constantly offer rest from the troubled policies of the “other guy”, even if they were once “the other guy”. Relationships offer rest, but too often they result in expectations that offer rest only when you make someone else happy. You offer to help, but when your efforts fall short, once again, rest becomes elusive. As parents, children, employees, citizens and friends, even as church goers, we are all looking for rest. Yet rest doesn’t come. We make it okay financially, and illness comes and drains rest away like the drip line of a medical delivery kit. You keep looking for a way to find rest in yourself, rest in your soul, to figure things out! But […]
Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. Job has received another of the horrible curses handed out to him by God. All that he could do is scrape himself clean. In one of the most compassionate outbursts of eloquent care ever given from a woman to her husband, His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.” A little context is helpful to grasp just how ugly these words are. Job is in agony. She is saying that is obvious God has completely abandoned him. Stop acting that God has anything to do with all of this except to mock you and humiliate […]
Another round violence is making the nightly news cycle. At this moment, there are more questions than answers. While political activity and government policies are important, we must not lose sight of the real center of power. The Apostle Paul instructs that we pray for governing authorities: of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way… I Tim. 2:1-2 ESV Why would Paul want to pray for intercession for the Caesar’s and their followers? At least one reason is that government leaders are not placed in power by their […]
The book of Proverbs provides insight about how to be wise (Proverbs 1:1-7). Proverbs is not primarily a set of rules to follow, but practical wisdom that can be applied to everyday life. This book will teach you and your children to avoid people and situations that will bring harm. For example, verses 1&2 of Chapter 18 help identify a person who is unfriendly and not to be trusted. Each verse has two lines. The second line compliments the first. So in verse 1 we learn that a person who is unfriendly is selfish. That makes sense. But then in the second line of this verse we find a clue that identifies this selfish person; they start foolish quarrels. 1 […]