Have you heard of the short story How Much Land Does a Man Need? by famed Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)? Tolstoy is famous for his mammoth works like Anna Karenina or War and Peace, as well as for his desire to live out Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. But How Much Land Does aContinue reading “Why is temptation so powerful? – Sword of the Spirit, Part 1”
Tag Archives: armor of God
Sword drills in Sunday School class? – Sword of the Spirit, Preview
Did you participate in sword drills as a child in church? Yes, in church. But I’m not talking about swords with metal blades. When I was growing up in children and youth Sunday School classes, we had sword drills with our Bibles. No, we didn’t slam each other with Bibles. Here’s how sword drills worked: AllContinue reading “Sword drills in Sunday School class? – Sword of the Spirit, Preview”
How to protect your mind – Helmet of Salvation, Part 5
There’s one more facet to the Helmet of Salvation. Helmets protects the vital organs in our heads. Primarily our brains, our minds, our thoughts. Like wise, when we are saved in Christ, we have powerful truths protecting our minds. We humans can be pretty tough on ourselves and others, and that cruelty starts in ourContinue reading “How to protect your mind – Helmet of Salvation, Part 5”
How to develop habits for mission – Helmet of Salvation, Part 4
The Helmet of Salvation reminds us that we are saved for mission now. All Christians are called and empowered by God to be actively engaged in his mission now, right we are. This is why in my Substack, I recently discussed the book Surprise the World: The Five Habits of Highly Missional People by MichaelContinue reading “How to develop habits for mission – Helmet of Salvation, Part 4”
The kind of life we are saved for now – Helmet of Salvation, Part 3
As we continue studying the Helmet of Salvation this week, we have been discussing how Salvation has a Saved From direction and a Saved For direction. As I mentioned in the previous posts here and here, while we have great comfort and hope because of the promises of the Saved From direction, we actually liveContinue reading “The kind of life we are saved for now – Helmet of Salvation, Part 3”
God’s wonderful plan for your life might not be what you think – Helmet of Salvation, Part 2
We need to talk about the other direction of salvation. Jesus does not only save us from terrible consequences, he also saves for something. We are saved for the abundant, flourishing life, filled by the Spirit, so the good things of the Spirit flow out of our lives. We are saved to live according toContinue reading “God’s wonderful plan for your life might not be what you think – Helmet of Salvation, Part 2”
What hidden cash has to do with the…Helmet of Salvation, Preview
A few years ago, my wife’s great aunt passed away. She lived in Michigan where my wife’s mother’s side of the family is from. My wife’s great aunt was single, had a long career as a teacher, and was also joyful and bright. As most of us do, she also had a quirky side. ForContinue reading “What hidden cash has to do with the…Helmet of Salvation, Preview”
Why true faith cannot simply be passive, but must be active – Shield of Faith, Part 3
In our current blog series, we are studying the Armor of God in Ephesians 6, verses 10-20. So far this week, I’ve introduced the next piece of the armor, the Shield of Faith, by describing the noun version of faith. Is that noun version of faith what Paul had in mind when he taught usContinue reading “Why true faith cannot simply be passive, but must be active – Shield of Faith, Part 3”
Why we need to see faith as opinion – Shield of Faith, Part 1
What is faith? There are many ways to describe faith. Faith can be a noun, an idea, and faith can be a verb, an action. When we think of faith as a noun, we might think of a religion. The Christian faith. The Muslim faith. The Hindu faith. There are many, many religious faiths. AContinue reading “Why we need to see faith as opinion – Shield of Faith, Part 1”
Why I’m not upgrading my cell phone, though I really want to – Shield of Faith, Preview
I recently received an email from my cell phone provider with an offer to upgrade my phone. My current phone is three years old, and it is a base model. The more advanced models have larger screens, better cameras and other features such as facial recognition. The email tugged at my desires. I desire aContinue reading “Why I’m not upgrading my cell phone, though I really want to – Shield of Faith, Preview”
Engaging Scripture 