In Colossians 3, the apostle Paul gives us two metaphors to help us grapple with our relationship to sin and righteousness in Christ. On the one hand, we are to kill the sin within our hearts: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you” (v. 5). Yet we also need to embrace a new identity—to “put on the new self” (v. 10) like a fresh set of clothing, fitting to our ...
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Have you ever wished you could have a second chance in life? Have you ever done something that you deeply regretted the moment you did it? We have all made mistakes. We have all done things that we know are wrong. But I have good news for you: God gives second chances . . . and third ones . . . and fourth ones . . . and fifth ones.
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"Please," "I'm sorry," and "Thank you." Those words are so simple, yet so hard to say. Learning their importance can help you grow in humility as you become more of a light that shines bright for Christ.
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Larry Crabb has an old book called The Silence of Adam, in which he makes the case that original sin goes back, in part, to the silence of Adam and the failure of men to step up and lead, a dominant problem throughout human history. Genesis makes it clear that when God created Adam and Eve, he put Adam in a position of authority—not to lord over Eve, but to serve and ...
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One of the most dramatic occurred some twenty years ago; I was about fifty years old. To the casual observer I was on top of the world. Our brand-new church sanctuary was bursting at the seams. We added new members every week. The congregation had very little debt and absolutely no doubt that their pastor was doing a great work.
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When journalist Rita Cosby was a child, she noticed scars across her father's body, and she asked aboutthem. She quickly learned not to ask questions like that. Parts of her father's life were off-limits. Years laieWhen her mother passed away, Rita found a tattered tan suitcase in the closet with memorabilia from herdad's early life, including a Polish Resistance armband, rusted tags bearing a prisoner number, and anidentity card for ...
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Have you noticed that the higher our expectations, the greater our disappointment when they are not met? Whether our unrealistic expectations are placed in other people, in our own strength, or in specific situations, we will always experience discouragement when things do not go as planned. But when our expectations are placed in the promises of God, we will never be disappointed.
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You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” Psalm 30: 11-12 If you’ve ever lost someone you love, you know grief is a journey. It takes so many twists and turns. You never know when something or someone will trigger ...
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