Your enemy knows better than to present his real plan for what it really is. Subtle, clever deception is designed to keep you and your children from seeing the true ugliness of sin. Prepare your children for these attractive schemes. Biblical faith and love for God are the only real defenses for these deceptive tactics. For example: entertainment often uses humor to portray lust, adultery, jealousy, gossip, hatred, greed, etc. I’m not just talking about X-rated movies. “Light-hearted, fun” PG movies fit the profile as well. It so easy to be amused by behavior that God hates. We fall for the lie: “It’s no big deal, it’s just fun”? But what is presented as fun results in horrific outcomes in […]
Sanctification
159 posts
If you love biblically, then your love for others will not be diminished by their failures. When love is all about you, bad things happen. Love must be defined by God, specifically by the work of his son, Jesus. The Holy Spirit tells us that we know what love is by how Jesus loved (1 John 3:16). By looking at Christ we see that love is other-centered, God-centered, not me-centered. This takes some radical rethinking. Love is not about what makes you feel good or happy. Love is dying to your wants, your desires, your dreams. Only by loving Jesus first can anyone experience this sort of love. When love is focused on what you want, disappointment is certain to […]
Christ’s last words in the Sermon on the Mount are a storm warning! The final four verses (Matthew 7:24-27) teach that these storms will be powerful and that they cannot be avoided. They are on the way. So, the question is not how to avoid the storm, but how to remain secure when the storm strikes. This much is certain: the storms will come. Jesus is talking about more than physical dwellings. He is talking about your life. The same things – the rains, the rising streams, the winds will attack each house with equal fury. Don’t be fooled. The security of the house rests not upon the elaborateness and beauty of its construction, but upon the solidness of its […]
The most important part of our lives are our relationships. Relationships, whether good or poor, live on in the landscape of our minds. God made humans for relationships; they shape our perception of who we are and provide us with our sense of self-worth and purpose. Relationships are most fulfilling when they are rooted in the trinitarian God who is the source and model for all good relationships. God’s ultimate expression of relationship to people was to send his son, Jesus Christ, to show you and me what makes relationships work. When asked about what was the most important of all the things God commanded his people to do, Jesus answered simply and directly. Love God with everything that is […]
Do you know people that irritate you? Do you have some friends or family members that you find annoying? No, these are not trick questions, just honest ones. The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible to help you deal with irritating, annoying people. And, as always, God’s answers are not our answers. The church in Philippi was having some people problems. So Paul wrote a letter to address their concerns. There is much for us to consider in Philippians about relationships. But I just want to focus on one point today. God wants you to consider the irritating, annoying people in your life as being more significant, more important than you are. Now, obeying God’s command to do this will not, […]
Indulging sensual desires has become an entitlement for young people. The message is loud and persistent: You can have it. You can have it now. You deserve it. Advertising that targets our nation’s youth is built on these three components of youthful desires or lusts. A cultural shift has occurred. It is one that is based on gratifying youthful desire. Having sex outside of marriage is the new social normal. Virginity is an indication of a dysfunctional personality. The notion of drinking responsibly doesn’t mean restraint, it means finding a designated driver. Products from hamburgers to whatever are sold with one message – you deserve this. Against this rising tide, a plea that says “don’t do that!” comes across as […]
Discontent comes when you believe things are out control. Discontent happens when things don’t go the way you believe they should. Discontent happens when you think you don’t have enough. Discontent is the enemy of healthy, loving relationships. When getting ahead in life is measured by the things you acquire or by the approval of others discontent thrives. In short, living for things that you cannot eternally possess results in futility. Listen to what Paul says about contentment: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” I Timothy 6:6&7. This is why you must aggressively pursue contentment. It is not enough to just want to be […]
A judgmental spirit towards people is a dangerous thing. It leads to doubt, mistrust and broken relationships. However, there is another form of judgment that is far more destructive: the practice of judging God. When you begin to question God’s faithfulness, when circumstances are not what you wanted, you are actually judging God. When your general response to life is that life is a bummer or you live with constant disappointment, you are judging God. Why? Because the Holy Spirit says that God is causing all the events in your life to work together for your good. So, when you look at life and fail to see God’s goodness, even in the painful things, you are judging God. You are […]
As humans we have an amazing capacity for self-importance. After being with Jesus at the last supper, after having him wash their feet, after hearing that one of them would betray Jesus, the disciples began to discuss an important topic. Actually, it was a dispute. They began to argue about which of them would have the highest public opinion poll! “A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.” (Luke 22:24) Amazing. But not really, the disciples are too much like me for comfort. They typically were interested in things that had to do with them. Sound familiar? Even after 3 years of living with Christ and hearing his teaching, it was still […]
Instruction and correction can easily be misunderstood. This is particularly the case when parental authority is being exercised. When correcting your children you can give them the impression that you are delighting in their failure, or that you are fixated on their shortcomings. Since disciplined training in righteousness must be thorough and ongoing, a child may think that your only purpose is to delight in telling him how wrong he is. This is where you have to look at your child’s world through his eyes. It is huge that in the process of correction, that your words follow the direction of the Spirit and be pleasant ( Proverbs 16:20-24) and gentle (Proverbs 15:1). Anger and irritation reinforce the idea that […]