CATEGORY: Christian Living in the Trenches
Encouragement and Resiliency Offered by God’s Promises
"But you promised!! Most of us have said that to someone who disappointed us: a parent, a child, a spouse, a supervisor or friend. Yes, even people we love, and who have loved us well, sometimes fail to follow-though on a promise they made. How do you feel when...
WISE CHRISTIANS CLIP OBITUARIES
Wise shoppers clip coupons. My wife, Dolly, is a persistent coupon clipper. She saves us hundreds of dollars a year with this discipline. She only uses the coupons for what she plans to purchase, anyway. She knows what day specific supermarket flyers come with the...
What Does It Look Like to Live Strong and Finish Well?
What attitudes and behaviors impede your spiritual growth as a Christ-follower? How do these particular mindsets and behaviors show as you get older? In your walk with Christ, what attitude is a prerequisite for living and serving well? Why is this same attitude...
How and When Do You Handle Your Storms?
Is a storm assailing you? Figuratively speaking, a storm is anything that threatens your sense of security. It's an alarming situation that instills uncertainty, fear and anxiety. Are you facing any of these storms? An estranged relationship with a loved one, who...
Are You Putting Too Much Faith in Your Faith?
He knew the ice! Allow me to back up and describe the context for that remark. Fear Sabotaged Fun A church asked me to speak at a winter retreat for the youth group, held at a camp in northern Wisconsin. As my wife and I arrived, I thought we were entering...
Do You Listen With Your Heart?
In 2013, as I wrote the first draft of the final chapter of a book titled Serve Strong: Biblical Encouragement to Sustain God's Servants, despair overwhelmed me. That week, a severe depressive episode enveloped me. My soul ached, and I couldn't identify an...
Is That A Thermometer In Your Mouth?
How To Tell When There's An Infection In Your Heart When a young child acts cranky or listless, his or her mom normally pops a thermometer into the kid's mouth or scans the child’s forehead with a device that reveals the body’s temperature. If the temp is...
Is The Cross of Christ Comforting You?
Nothing is more comforting than the gospel of Jesus Christ. According to several respected authors, the key to enjoying and celebrating that gospel is preaching it to ourselves. Preaching the gospel to ourselves is a spiritual discipline that is both proactive and...
How Long Should Love Last?
Why is the proliferation of divorce in our culture a threat to marriage commitment between a new bride and groom? I answer that question in today's post. From Terry Years ago, I posted the poem I wrote for my son's wedding on my blog, but I didn't add commentary...
An Alarming Word
Please pray that you don't become too familiar with the word around which I am framing this post. There is a kind of darkness far worse than major depression. "Oh Lord, use my reflections on this one alarming word to keep us out of that darkness." The Heart...
SUFFERING IS NEVER FOR NOTHING
It's one thing to read a person's take on suffering who has a solid grasp of the Bible's teaching on the subject. It's another thing altogether, and a far better thing, to read an author whose personal experience of deep suffering complemented her deep...
COMFORTS AND CHALLENGES IN GOD’S WORD
The first part of this post may encourage you. The second half may challenge you. 6 Promises to Encourage Us As We Serve God When we open God's Word, we often yearn for truths and texts that encourage us. Reasons for needing God's comfort or sustenance vary,...
