Bethany McIlrath

First and Second: Perspective On What Matters Most (Matthew 22:36-40)

Category: Growing in Christ

  • Lie 4: Sin Can Be Conquered by Effort

    Lie 4: Sin Can Be Conquered by Effort

    (A series on lies sin tells us to tempt us and trick us. Submit by October 30th if you want to be featured in a guest post exposing sin’s lies to God’s Word in this 8 part series) We’d like to believe sin can be conquered by our efforts. The enemy of our souls takes…

  • Lie 3: Sin Defines You

    Lie 3: Sin Defines You

    (A series on lies sin tells us to tempt us and trick us. Join me in exposing sin’s lies to God’s Word in this 8 part series.) We more or less have a Sunday School answer memorized to counteract this lie: Christ defines who I am. But when it comes it to living it- predisposition…

  • Lie 2: Your Sin is Special

    Lie 2: Your Sin is Special

    (A series on lies sin tells us to tempt us and trick us. Join me in exposing sin’s lies to God’s Word in this 8 part series.) We don’t like to talk about our sin because we think people will judge us. So we believe a lie that keeps us isolated and alone, one that…

  • Lie 1: Sin Doesn’t Matter That Much

    Lie 1: Sin Doesn’t Matter That Much

    (A series on lies sin tells us to tempt us and trick us. Join me in exposing sin’s lies to God’s Word in this 8 part series.) If we’re honest, we’d like to pretend sin doesn’t exist. One of the greatest obstacles people face when considering salvation is admitting they are sinners. As believers, we…

  • No Way, No How

    No Way, No How

    Standing on the edge of my own big, wild, crazy nightmares or dreams, I remember the wise words I’ve seen shared around the internet “When there isn’t a way out, go through.” It’s true. But, sometimes, looking around, there isn’t a way through. Sometimes the door is slammed shut in your face and all the…

  • Maybe God Doesn’t Want Your Best

    Maybe God Doesn’t Want Your Best

    We’re an ambitious bunch. Reach for the stars. Be all you can be. Unlock your potential. This fits with Scripture right? Let’s see… Noah’s greatest aspiration…probably not building an ark against all reason to survive a deadly flood. Job. Job was successful. He did great things. And He was a Godly man. Then God let…

  • The Nature of Knowing

    The Nature of Knowing

    Do you know your husband’s face? Your mother’s hands? Your grandfather’s voice? This adorable video shows how children memorize their mother’s features: What about your loved ones’ preferences? Do you know what they are allergic too, what they colors they like, the phrases they say often? If you think about it, do you know what’s…

  • Fighting You, For You

    Fighting You, For You

    Sometimes we turn on ourselves. Sometimes our loved ones have to fight us for us. It is, for example, for their own good that we scold and discipline children for running into the road. In a similar way, we fight loved ones when they choose self-harm because we know they need to be fought for….

  • But I Feel…

    But I Feel…

    I can’t seem to say the words without closing my eyes. “But I feel” …like there is no good option. Then, eyes opened too wide, I grope for words to justify the way I feel. I explain all of the reasons I’m stuck. As if I have to be convinced that my own conclusions are…

  • #1 Way You’re Doing It Wrong

    #1 Way You’re Doing It Wrong

    How does a Christian grow in their faith? We like to start by building ourselves up in the Lord when we work our praying and ministering muscles. Another strategy is to stretch ourselves by extending our hands out to others with the love of God. We often lift our Bibles higher and higher, making them…