Unless we give our lives to a cause greater than ourselves, and unless we pour into the lives of others, we will suffer an inevitable and gradual shift into self-introspection, selfishness, and ultimately despair. Jesus came to serve, and He is our model for life. ( 1 minute/300 Words)
Read moreArchival Post: 6 Attributes of Good Leaders
6 Attributes of Good Leaders
Archival Post
One of the main reasons I love the book of Proverbs is the scattered nature of its organization. For much of the book, one line does not bleed into the next. Each proverb stands on its own. This organization is helpful, for nearly every chapter covers a multitude of subjects. Each time I sit down to read the book, massive and varied parts of my life are addressed. (3 Minutes/700 Words)
Read moreArchival Post: When Plans Magically Come Together Proverbs 16:1
When Plans Magically Come Together -
Proverbs 16:1
Archival Post
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.”(Proverbs 16:1). As I sat at a table full of pastors, my plan was set. Through prayer and thought, time and research, observation and faith, I had come to my conclusion. I had written down bullet points and was now ready to share the plan of my heart. Then something magical happened, only it wasn’t magic, but the Spirit of God changing plans as they traveled from my heart to my tongue. (1 Minute/250 Words)
Read moreArchival Post: Gospel Centered Men
Gospel Centered Men
Archival Post
“I am happy to share this archival post as a reflection on a topic that has been important to me.
I hope you will enjoy either revisiting this topic with a new awareness or reading it for the first time with fresh eyes.”
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Gospel Centered Men
Archival Post: Dear New Dad: Be A Son
Dear New Dad: Be A Son
Archival Post
“I am happy to share this archival post as a reflection on a topic that has been important to me.
I hope you will enjoy either revisiting this topic with a new awareness or reading it for the first time with fresh eyes.”
click to read
Dear New Dad: Be A Son
Husbands: Sacrificially Love, Part 2 (Ephesians 5:26-28a)
In speaking to husbands regarding the need for sacrificial love for their brides, Paul continued to hold out Jesus as their example. Jesus loves His church by sanctifying her, washing her with the water of the word, preparing her to be holy and without blemish. Jesus tirelessly works for His bride's beauty. (5 Minutes/700 Words)
Read moreUnited In Marriage — Husband, Sacrificially Love (Ephesians 5:25)
That Paul does not have a brutal or tyrannical marriage relationship in mind when he exhorts the wife to submit to her husband is evident in this next section. The church is not slavishly following Christ, for He is ever loving and gentle and kind. The husband is to be the same, one who emulates the love of Jesus Christ. This love is to pour from his life just as Christ’s blood flowed on the cross. He is not to love his wife with a flimsy or fleeting love, but a strong and sacrificial one. He is to remember to die for his bride. (4 Minutes/800 Words)
Read moreEase Today, Pain Tomorrow (Proverbs 20:21)
Ease Today, Pain Tomorrow
(Proverbs 20:21)
“An inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end.” (Proverbs 20:21 NLT).
The wings strain. Push. Press. Push. The caterpillar has become a butterfly, but the struggle to extricate itself from the cocoon is violent. Force exerted. Energy expended. Pain, real and true. With all strength spent, the wings function. No more crawling along. A flier is born.
The proverb above communicates the idea well. Too much success, influence, or wealth without any struggle often leads to pain in the end. It is better, in the end, to fight, battle, and struggle your way to success.
I only want to work in my area of passion, says one. I want to find deep fulfillment in my work, says another. I want…I need…I wish…I hope. But I must die. You won't discover your passion if your life is not tested with hard work, devotion, and submission. We find fulfillment through sweat, struggle, and pain.
We must not forget that we are not our work, our influence, or our life’s successes. We are children of God, walking on the dust of the earth, surviving by grace. He walks with us through all we think mundane. But does he? Does he not love our work, our breaths, our perspiration? We ought not to think he is disinterested in the daily grind of life. He loves the process, the growth, the building up of strength.
If you are young — sure — find your passion. But also find work and labor. Find faithfulness and struggle. Find the joy which comes from paying the bill and feeding the belly. Sleep the slumber of the hardworking man or woman and you might discover passion isn't everything. Living out your dream is not everything. It can be hazardous to get it too early in life, the proverb says. Spill some blood. Shed some tears. Drip some sweat. And watch the living God make you fly.
Build Your Support Team Like Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:6-7)
Build Your Support Team Like Jonathan
(1 Samuel 14:6-7)
Homefield advantage is a thing. Some athletes say they thrive on opposition, that they love playing in front of a hostile crowd. But, time and time again, it is a general rule that teams win a higher percentage of games when playing on their home field, ice, court, or turf. Many factors are cited, but one is the support of the fans. (4 Minutes / 800 Words)
Read moreThe Call Of The Father (Genesis 1:27)
The Call Of The Father
(Genesis 1.27)
Buck the dog, in Jack London’s classic *The Call Of The Wild*, had grown up in lazy and sunny Northern California. He had lived what many would call the good life, roaming Judge Miller's spacious property in the Santa Clara Valley. But since Buck was a beast of an animal, a strong and fine specimen, one day he was stolen, sold, and shipped to Alaska. There, he worked as a sled dog delivering mail and, eventually, searching for gold. The tale is one of discovery, for Buck thought he was happy on those sun-kissed days in the valley, but it turned out life in the Yukon was a fuller and more vibrant life… (4 Minutes / 700 Words)
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