When Truth Isn’t Enough

Grief

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. - Romans 12:15   Continue Reading

Nice Flesh

man artistic blur

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. -Galatians 5:19 When you’ve struggled with a “juicy” sin, it’s easy to judge your whole life by how well or how poorly you’re handling that one behavior. Folks who are alcoholic can do this by assuming that as long as they’re sober, then they’re doing well. Drug addicts, gamblers and Continue Reading

The Same-Sex Wedding Invitation Debate

Gay Wedding

Lots of buzz lately about whether or not a Christian should attend a same-sex wedding ceremony. And as buzz goes, this one’s awfully relevant, as more and more believers are facing this practical, emotional choice: Accept the invitation although I don’t believe in same sex marriage, or decline and risk alienating someone I deeply love? And as the old song goes, Everybody’s Talkin’. Stephen Arterburn of New Life Ministries recently blogged at the Huffington Post that Jesus would definitely say yes to such an event, so we should go and do Continue Reading

Who’s Counting?

Calculator

Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. -Psalm 32:2     I am amazed at the God who forgets. My old friend Randall Slack just did a post on that very subject – “The God Who Forgets” – which is well worth a read and can be found on his blogsite here. http://yourtendermercies.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/the-god-who-forgets/ Continue Reading

Point Man

Points

“Every relationship that has hit a crossroads has asked, ‘What is it that you want from me?’” ― Shannon L. Alder           Guys talk a lot about making points with their ladies. Continue Reading

Doubt

question mark cool

“Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?”                          – Matthew 11:3 John the Baptist, full of the Holy Spirit from the womb (Luke 1:15) and forerunner to the Messiah (Luke 3:4) had a moment of doubt. Continue Reading

My Glorious Thorn

Photo Credit: McCarter Theatre Center

He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see. – Bob Cratchet commenting on his son Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol. Tiny Tim emerges as one of the smartest characters in this Dickens classic. In the quote above, his father Bob remarks that Tim, while sitting in church, gloried in his weakness because it might point people to Christ, a simple perspective many older and (allegedly) Continue Reading

Prayer’s Block

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Anyone who’s tried writing can attest to the frustration of Writer’s Block. It happens when you sit your body in front of the computer, but your mind floats someplace else, refusing to put the harness on and get the flow going. It won’t enter in, and until it does, you stare at the screen, get up and down, play an online game, whatever. Volumes have been written about it, and plenty of despairing would-be authors lap up any advice they can get on how to beat the beast and make those first few paragraphs happen. Continue Reading

Thy Will Be Done … but are You Open to Suggestions?

looking up

Every Wednesday we’ll post something to do with doctrine and recovery.  — “Thy Will Be Done” (but are You open to suggestions?) Trusting that God will do what we hope He’ll do is one thing. Trusting in His good character, no matter what he does or doesn’t do, is another. And that’s a lesson I hope I’m learning. God parted the Red Sea for the Hebrews (Exodus 14:21-29) protected Daniel in the middle of a lion’s den (Daniel 6:16-23) kept three faithful Hebrews cool while the furnace burned (Daniel 3:20-26) and gave sinking Peter a Continue Reading

When Hurting is Helpful

prayer

Every Monday we’ll post something to do with maintaining sexual purity. Hope it helps. — When Hurting is Helpful “ --- neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.” - II Samuel 24:24 I see nothing in scripture or common sense leading me to believe life shouldn’t be savored. Paul told Timothy that God has given us all things richly to enjoy (I Timothy 6:17) and I say bring it on. There are walks to take, movies to see, waves to ride, footballs to toss, and an endless variety of meals to Continue Reading