What is broken in your life? I hate to start off this week’s blog posts on such a dark note, but so many of us have broken relationships, broken situations, and they really concern us, taking loads of emotional energy, time and sometimes money. How do we heal what is broken? I think about ourContinue reading “You can be in a close relationship with God – Colossians 1:20-23, Part 1”
Tag Archives: salvation
What God requires of you to enter his Kingdom – Colossians 1:9-14, Part 5
I love traveling internationally, collecting immigration stamps from other countries in my passport. Maybe you’ve caught that bug too, or you dream about it. I know this is a distinctly first-world privilege, as so many around the world have little realistic opportunity for such travel. But permit me to describe it. For citizens of theContinue reading “What God requires of you to enter his Kingdom – Colossians 1:9-14, Part 5”
How to know if you a truly a follower of Jesus – Honest Advent Week 2, Part 2
I was recently talking with someone about their spiritual journey. They said that they grew up in a Christian family, and they didn’t remember having what some people call a “moment of decision,” which is a distinct memory of their willful choice to believe in and give their lives to Jesus. You might hear someContinue reading “How to know if you a truly a follower of Jesus – Honest Advent Week 2, Part 2”
God has you in his hands? (Is that just Christian mumbo-jumbo?) – Ecclesiastes 8:16-9:10, Part 2
What do you think about the title of this post? God has you in his hands. Christians have been saying that kind of thing for centuries. Is it true? Or is just Christian mumbo-jumbo, feel-good nonsense? As we continue our study in Ecclesiastes, the Teacher (the writer of Ecclesiastes) has some ancient wisdom for us,Continue reading “God has you in his hands? (Is that just Christian mumbo-jumbo?) – Ecclesiastes 8:16-9:10, Part 2”
How to have hope even when it seems all is lost – Acts 16, Part 4
Have you ever lost hope? You might know the feeling, either from something in real life when disaster has struck, or maybe you had one of those vivid nightmares that seem totally real, and you wake up, sweating, heart racing, so thankful it was just a dream. The loss of hope can cause us toContinue reading “How to have hope even when it seems all is lost – Acts 16, Part 4”
The first revival (and could revival happen again?) – Acts 2, Part 3
Revival. What is it? We sometimes talk about a revival of an old musical production. Or when a person stops breathing, they can be revived through CPR. Revival is the breathing of new life into something that is dead or dying. While there is physical revival, as we continue studying Acts 2, we’ve come toContinue reading “The first revival (and could revival happen again?) – Acts 2, Part 3”
What is the Holy Spirit? And how do we receive the Spirit? – Our Identity: Temples of the Spirit, Part 2
What is the Holy Spirit? As a spirit, you cannot see the Spirit. The Spirit is invisible. But the Spirit is God, God’s true spiritual being. The Spirit is equal to God in every way. In Scripture we see various descriptions of the Spirit. The Spirit came like a dove alighting on Jesus during hisContinue reading “What is the Holy Spirit? And how do we receive the Spirit? – Our Identity: Temples of the Spirit, Part 2”
Who we really are in Christ – Our Identity: In Christ, Part 2
Think about how you see yourself. Is it the same as who you are? Is it possible that your self-identity is different from who you really are? I think it is very possible. Consider people that think they are losers, failures, or many other negative words. Perhaps other people told them that. Perhaps they didContinue reading “Who we really are in Christ – Our Identity: In Christ, Part 2”
Be determined in God’s direction – Characters: Jacob, Part 5
I love the picture above. Having done a good bit of running myself, I am always amazed at people who keep at into their older years. My grandfather participated in the Senior Games into his 90s, winning speed walking events. That is the picture of determination. In this series of posts we’ve been following theContinue reading “Be determined in God’s direction – Characters: Jacob, Part 5”
How to transform your life from useless to useful – Philemon 8-25, Part 2
Have you ever felt useless in life? Maybe you watch others around you, friends and family, and it seems they are successful, advancing, making a difference in the world, enjoying life. Then you think about your life, and maybe you see a past littered with failure, broken relationships, and poor choices. Even if that describesContinue reading “How to transform your life from useless to useful – Philemon 8-25, Part 2”
Engaging Scripture 