Have you ever noticed how cars in horror movies never work when they need to? Chances are the “Check Engine” light had been on for months, but the protagonist just kept putting off that trip to the mechanic. Honest question...do you do the same with your faith? Neglect it, but then hope it holds up under the pressures of life? If we want a faith that will survive, we need to be strengthening it before the killer is at our front door.
Read MoreHave you ever noticed how cars in horror movies never work when they need to? Chances are the “Check Engine” light had been on for months, but the protagonist just kept putting off that trip to the mechanic. Honest question...do you do the same with your faith? Neglect it, but then hope it holds up under the pressures of life? If we want a faith that will survive, we need to be strengthening it before the killer is at our front door.
Read MoreComparison may have a bad reputation, but not all comparison is negative. What matters is what and who you are comparing yourself to. How you measure success. Are you using the standard that the world and culture has set? If so, you’ll learn soon enough that you’ll fall short every time. Instead, we need to learn to measure ourselves by God’s standard and see how we can measure up where it matters most.
Read MoreComparison may have a bad reputation, but not all comparison is negative. What matters is what and who you are comparing yourself to. How you measure success. Are you using the standard that the world and culture has set? If so, you’ll learn soon enough that you’ll fall short every time. Instead, we need to learn to measure ourselves by God’s standard and see how we can measure up where it matters most.
Read MoreThere are some people in the world who seem to have everything going for them. They’re attractive, witty, successful...they’re just so perfect. And if you were just like them, you’d be perfect, too...right? Wrong! Trying to become a duplicate of someone else is a disservice to the unique person God created you to be. And the sooner you identify and ditch The Doppelganger Distraction, the sooner you’ll make the difference in the world you were designed for.
Read MoreThere are some people in the world who seem to have everything going for them. They’re attractive, witty, successful...they’re just so perfect. And if you were just like them, you’d be perfect, too...right? Wrong! Trying to become a duplicate of someone else is a disservice to the unique person God created you to be. And the sooner you identify and ditch The Doppelganger Distraction, the sooner you’ll make the difference in the world you were designed for.
Read MoreGenerally the first thing that comes to mind when we think of comparison is envy. But there’s a comparison prison cell that’s even more insidious: Self-righteousness. We search out comparisons that make us feel better about ourselves because, “At least we’re not like those people!” But what if Jesus called us to view ourselves as the “Chief of Sinners?” How do comparisons change if we see our own sin as a log and another’s sin as a speck of sawdust?
Read MoreGenerally the first thing that comes to mind when we think of comparison is envy. But there’s a comparison prison cell that’s even more insidious: Self-righteousness. We search out comparisons that make us feel better about ourselves because, “At least we’re not like those people!” But what if Jesus called us to view ourselves as the “Chief of Sinners?” How do comparisons change if we see our own sin as a log and another’s sin as a speck of sawdust?
Read MoreHere’s a thought—maybe God is “silent” because he’s waiting for you to speak? Maybe God is “still” because he’s waiting for you to act? God wants what we want...for His goodness and mercy to show up in our life in apparent ways. But for His goodness and mercy to follow us, we have to go where He leads, even if it takes us through the valley of the shadow of death.
Read MoreHere’s a thought—maybe God is “silent” because he’s waiting for you to speak? Maybe God is “still” because he’s waiting for you to act? God wants what we want...for His goodness and mercy to show up in our life in apparent ways. But for His goodness and mercy to follow us, we have to go where He leads, even if it takes us through the valley of the shadow of death.
Read MoreA symphony is defined as “...an elaborate musical composition for a full orchestra.” And there lies the beauty of a symphony—that it incorporates all aspects of the orchestral suite: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. God works in a similar way...He incorporates all aspects of His creation to speak. So when we think God is quiet, He in fact may be He speaking to us through a way—or through a person—that we never would’ve expected.
Read MoreA symphony is defined as “...an elaborate musical composition for a full orchestra.” And there lies the beauty of a symphony—that it incorporates all aspects of the orchestral suite: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. God works in a similar way...He incorporates all aspects of His creation to speak. So when we think God is quiet, He in fact may be He speaking to us through a way—or through a person—that we never would’ve expected.
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