A Christian school in Atlanta is forcing kids to recite the pledge to the American flag or they can’t attend. Imagine Jesus saying “honor the Roman creed or you can’t follow me.”
It’s a devilish thing to feel really bad about yourself, and really unsure about Jesus’ finished work on your behalf. It’s devilish because that’s exactly what Satan wants… for us to look at ourselves with disdain more than we gaze at Jesus and marvel.
The root of Christian love is not the will to love, but the faith that one is loved. The faith that one is loved by God. That faith that one is loved by God although unworthy—or, rather, irrespective of one’s worth!
- Thomas Merton
Today is a good day to say, “enough.” You and I have done our part, now we must let God do His.
We can stop pushing.
We can stop trying to control.
This doesn’t mean we give up. It means we give over to God what was never ours to carry.
I've never counseled a middle way. I've counseled a third way--which is Jesus. The danger of the middle way is you think the answer is 50% of each alternative. The third-way is distinct from either alternative.
The early church didn’t give any energy to winning a culture war.
They spent their time creating a counter-cultural community, serving the marginalized, and sharing the news of Jesus’ resurrection.
1 Corinthians 13 was not written with a wedding ceremony in mind. It’s not meant to give us warm, fuzzy feelings.
This chapter is Paul's word of rebuke to a church marked by great miracles and charisma, but by little maturity and character.
My Scripture reading was 1 Kings 19 this AM. No matter how many times I’ve read it, I’m moved—sometimes to tears—by the question the Lord asks his beloved servant:
“What are you doing here, Elijah?”
I love how the Lord asks questions even though he already knows the answers.