Darrell Howard

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

For those of us in Christ, who have been given eternal life, we know where our story is going.

We know how the final chapter ends.

We might not know the next chapter, and we will be surprised by what is coming around the corner, but we know where our final destination is.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

I love the hymn, My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less. I'm deeply persuaded that its famous refrain is repeated over and over again to catch us each time we try in vain to find hope in sinking sand - "On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand / All other ground is sinking sand."

God, in love, will allow your faux rocks of situations, people, locations, possessions, positions, or answers to be swallowed up so you cry out for his help. As you struggle through the slippery instability of sinking sand in a fallen world, your weariness should be a sign.

There is a Rock of stability, and his name is Christ.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

The Bible is clear that whatever controls our heart will exercise inescapable influence over our words, choices, and actions. That one thing will shape and direct our responses to the situations, locations, and relationships of daily life.

If the Lord Almighty isn't our one thing, something elese will become our functional lord. Whether for a moment, a day, a month, a season, or for many years, this one thing will exercise dominion over us in some way, shape, or form.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

It's fundamentally impossible to be in a situation, location, or relationship where God isn't present.
It's impossible for anything to exist outside of the sphere of his control.
It's impossible for anyone to be more powerful than him.
It's impossible for what he desires and has chosen and planned not to come to be.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Abundant life today doesn’t mean “get as much as you can in the here and now.” In fact, the opposite is true. The grace of Forever frees us from the bondage and madness of our self-centered, pleasure-oriented, here-and-now-ism.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Yes, the straight and narrow is hard, but heaven is coming, and we're walking towards the gate.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Are you allowing yourself to be surprised by the difficulties that come as a result of walking on the straight and narrow? Do you need to reset your expectations of what life will be like as a redeemed child of God?

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Mercy means we don't reject others, ignore them, scream at them, slam the door in their face and walk away.
Those are all the actions of judgement.
Mercy moves me towards others because I understand that they need God's rescue, and I have been called to be a first responder.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Read Galatians 5:13-15: "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other." (NIV)

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Indulging the flesh is natural for us all, but Jesus understands our inability. Not only does he forgive us when we stumble, he now lives within us and helps us say no to sin and choose instead to serve our family in humble love.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

There's an essential spiritual discipline - with specific ramifications for families - that often gets neglected: it's the spiritual discipline of saying no.

A family becomes a healthy family when members of that family say no. When husbands and fathers say no to indulging the flesh, the home becomes a safer place. When wives and mothers say no to the pleasures of sin, the family becomes a healthier unit. When brothers and sisters and children say no to themselves, they won't bite and devour each other - both literally and spiritually!

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

A disciplined person inserts good habits into their schedule, repeating them over and over again even when they don't feel like it. For the Christian, there are many spiritual disciplines: spending time in prayer, reading the Scriptures, attending church, participating in a small group, giving generously of your time and money, and more.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Our biggest problem isn't that we don't love our spouse or our child or our parent or our sibling enough. Our most significant struggle is that we don't surrender to God enough. When we fail to surrender to God as we should, then we won't love the people in our family in the way that he calls us to love.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

You are the light of your neighborhood. You are the light of your office. You are the light of your school. You are the light of your gym. You are the light of your little league.

Are you making an effort to shine?

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Because we are hardwired for Forever, we’ll long for a perfect paradise, and we’ll struggle with the reality that our current address—a fallen world—is anything but perfect. This longing and struggle are reasonable, but in our moments of eternity amnesia, we’ll become unreasonable in expecting the present world to be what it can never be.

We want the here and now earth to behave as if it is our final paradise destination, when in fact, all that we are experiencing in the here and now earth prepares us for the Forever destination that is to come.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Jesus declares, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

The logic here should make us feel uncomfortable: Jesus is placing his name (the Light of the World) on you and me. It's God's divine plan to make the light of his Son visible to others by sending us into a dark and lost world and living as light.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Here are 7 exercises that strengthen your heart and spiritual muscles:
1. Regular study of the Bible
2. Consistent godly fellowship
3. Looking for God's glory in creation every day
4. Sitting under preaching and teaching of Scripture
5. Spending quiet moments reflecting on the goodness of God
6. Reading solid Christian books
7. Spending ample time in prayer

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Giving way to doubt, anger, discouragement, and envy ultimately leads to spiritual inactivity.
Here's the logic: when we believe that God isn't as good and wise as we once thought he was, and if he withholds good things from his children, and if he plays favorites, then why should we continue to pursue him?
Maybe our habits of faith aren't helping us after all, we reason. Maybe we've been wasting our time.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

If you're a human being, trouble will come knocking.

At some time and in some way, suffering will enter our door as an uninvited guest. In these moments, we have a choice to make: we can question God's character and grow weak in faith, or we can embrace it as an opportunity that God is giving us to develop spiritual muscles.

[Paul David Tripp @PaulTripp]

Pray for strength, protection, direction, and encouragement that can only be found when we're hungry students of the Lord.

Morning after morning, bow your head and humbly pray: "Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path." (Psalm 27:11)