We live in a “fix it” society. I was reminded just how oriented we are to that the other day when our dryer decided to start screaming like a banshee. It was broken. What did we do? Call a phone number for the repair person. Have a scratch on your car? Here’s some touch-up paint….
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God wants us to think about the shortness of our lives (Psalm 90:12; James 4:14). He wants us to ponder eternity (1 Pet. 1:3-9). Being a pastor allows me the privilege of staying close to suffering, sickness, and death. Yes, it’s a privilege. And without fail, it provides numerous opportunities for reflection. Here are a few…
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Christians throw around Bible jargon often, but I’ve often wondered a couple of things regarding that practice. First, do the Christians who use those words truly know what the words mean? And second, do people who are new to Christianity, or are curious about it, know what those words mean? This blog series will attempt…
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The scientist: Scientist: I establish what is true based on science. Science is my highest authority. Question: How do you determine science is your highest authority?Scientist: Through science. The Christian: Christian: I establish what is true based on Scripture. Scripture is my highest authority.Question: How do you determine Scripture is your highest authority?Christian: Through Scripture. Imagine a…
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At Alliance Bible Church, we’ve been in a sermon series this summer called “You Asked for it.” We’ve been answering questions submitted by our wonderful people. Not all can be addressed in a sermon, so I’m taking on a few more here. And this question is an interesting one: Does suffering mean God is angry…
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“I know what I need. My motives are pure. Certainly this prayer request is something God would want to answer.” How often do these thoughts run through our minds? And when He doesn’t give us what we asked for, we’re perplexed and even a bit agitated. How do we deal with unanswered prayer? Jesus addresses…
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“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matt. 7:22-23). We often make the grave mistake of evaluating…
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I know we’ve all done it. We’re sitting in church on a Sunday morning listening to the sermon. The pastor says something and we immediately elbow the person sitting next to us as if to say, “Pay attention. You need to hear this! This is all about you!” Or we’ll hear the preacher say something and…
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Here’s the final installment in this series. Much more could be said, but we’ll leave it here. Unholy discontent arises when we perceive that we lack something. I’ll list a few examples to get you thinking about where the source of your discontent lies. This last reflection is meant to get you thinking about how…
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Humility goes a long way in nurturing us to a state of contentment. It is pride that stirs the waters until the foam of discontentment is unmistakably present. Today we’ll think about one sign of each. Sign of Discontentment: complaining The malcontent is ever complaining of one’s condition. Rather than deploying the calming power of…
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