Apr 5, 2021 | Commitment
I have a confession to make… I can be pretty forgetful. Sometimes I forget small, minor things, but other times I forget big, important things. Do you struggle with a similar problem? Because I am so forgetful, I take advantage of technology and set reminder alarms on my phone. When the alarm goes off, it reminds me to take action on some task.
Many times, reminders are necessary to make sure we do what we should do. But if I get a reminder alarm about an activity and don’t do anything when I hear it, then that reminder really didn’t do me any good. A reminder is helpful only if it causes us to do something. In other words, every reminder must be accompanied by a response.
Every year, believers recognize two foundational days in Christianity: Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday (Easter). These days are God’s reminders of what He did in Jesus Christ to secure eternal life for us. Good Friday reminds us of Jesus’ death on the cross as He sacrificed Himself to pay the penalty for our sins. Resurrection Sunday reminds us that God raised Jesus from the dead to provide salvation for us. (more…)
Feb 6, 2021 | Spiritual Growth
In the world of sports, athletes are always trying to get better. Even the best athletes in the world, who are already at the top of their games, look for ways to improve.
The same should be true of Christians. We should not be stagnant in our walk with the Lord. We should constantly seek ways to up our game for God, crank up our commitment to Christ, and go to the next level for the Lord.
Despite being one of God’s most effective servants, Paul was always striving to be better. In Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV), he said, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul was not satisfied with where he was spiritually. He wanted to go higher and higher in the Lord. We should have that same desire.
As Christians, we always have room to grow. I want to encourage each of us to make a commitment to do better this year than we did last year. Let us do a personal assessment to identify how we can improve in our relationship with God. Following are just a few areas where we can up our game for God.
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Oct 27, 2020 | Praising God
God is to be praised, even during difficult times.
Christians are commanded to praise God. Psalm 150:6 says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” We usually don’t have a problem praising God when we are doing well. However, giving praise to God can become more challenging when things are not going so well.
Trouble in our lives can keep us from praising God. We might even think to ourselves, “Why should I praise God?” However, the presence of difficult times does not negate the command to praise God. Praising God is an unconditional command, which means we should do it regardless of what is happening to us or around us. Is it easy to praise God in the midst of problems? No, it isn’t. But God would not tell us to do something that we could not do, with His help. In this post, I discuss three keys that will help us praise God during difficult times.
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Jul 21, 2020 | Trusting God
The coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc upon our world and some people aren’t sure what to do. Let me suggest five ways Christians should respond to this pandemic.
1. Give praise to God
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6 (NIV) says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” Even in the face of something as serious as the coronavirus, Christians are called to praise God. This verse tells us that being alive (i.e., having breath) is the only requirement for praising God!
Note that the scriptures do not say, “If you are alive and everything is going well, then praise the Lord” or “If you are alive and healthy, then praise the Lord” or “If you are alive and rich, then praise the Lord.” No, the scriptures simply say, “Praise the Lord.” Period. Praising the Lord is to be done unconditionally, without hesitation, and without reservation by every living person. Are you alive today? If you are, you should praise the Lord!
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Oct 21, 2019 | Uncategorized
If you have read my book, Pressing on Toward Maturity, I would appreciate it if you could share your thoughts about it. For example,
- If God blessed you through this book, tell me how.
- If you were helped or encouraged by it, let me know in what ways.
- If you would recommend it to others, mention why.
- If you have any constructive criticism, list it.
- Anything else you want to say.
To leave your comments, enter your information in the fields below, then click “Submit Comment.”
Thank you!
Apr 24, 2019 | God's Word
Every Christian should make the study and application of the Bible a priority in their life. If we are committed to the God of the Word, then we also will be committed to the Word of God! There are several criteria that we can use to do a self-assessment to determine whether or not we are truly committed to God’s Word. (more…)
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