Tag: truth
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Watch for the Bait and Switch
Pauls’ words in Romans 7:15 about struggling with sin nature echo in our ears: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” What gets us to do what we hate? Why do we sin when we know sin stinks? One…
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3 Ways to Get Truth from the Head to the Heart
You might have heard the famous quote: “The longest journey you will ever take is the 18 inches from your head to your heart.” 18 inches doesn’t seem that far. We can cover that distance in one swift step with our feet. Many of our pets are about that length, and we can run our…
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The Faith-Science of Courage
Beneath the headache-inducing fluorescent lights of the high school’s health classroom, my scrawny self learned something life changing. It didn’t seem all that scientific back then. I learned the word resilient. In a passing moment, the teacher said “want to impress college reps? Use this big word. Resilient. It means you bounce back.” He went…
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No Easy Jesus Review
In copywriting, offering “10 simple steps” is a great way to gain viewership. Promises to provide something life-changing with ease makes for a great hook. There’s a reason for that. We like reward without risk. We aim to get the most out of doing the least. Call it entitlement, laziness, or whatever you’d like, but…
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It’s (Not) Going to Get Better
I’m not a pessimist. In fact, I tend far too much toward optimism. However, I’ve learned that belligerent optimism isn’t helpful when equally stubborn hardship prevails. The reality is that we should expect suffering as a result of sin. Believers should expect the added difficulties of persecution and living apart from the pattern of the…
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Knowledge Isn’t Complete (3/6)
This post is the 3rd in a 6-part series on Idolizing Knowledge. Read the rest of the posts here. Guest directory info is available here. Serving with a mission which crossed over daily into Mexico, I didn’t head to the border with any intention of interpreting. My Spanish was mas-o-menos just okay. But as I…
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Knowledge Isn’t Unchanging (2/6)
This post is the 2nd in a 6-part series on Idolizing Knowledge. Read the rest of the posts here. Guest directory info is available here. For those who aren’t familiar, cursive is a style of penmanship with pretty curves and continuous lettering. I spent many days as an 8 year old carefully memorizing and…
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Untangled in Love
I never thought I’d be one for mushy stuff. Anyone who’s heard my commentary during chick flicks knows I’m not a romantic. But there’s this guy. The one I moved seats to be near the first day of class. The one whose shenanigans had my head and finger wagging from the start. The one who…
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Lie 7: Sin Is Too Personal To Talk About
(A series on lies sin tells us to tempt us and trick us. Read the whole series here.) We like to keep sin hidden. It’s only natural. Our enemy knows this and encourages this. Sin is ugly, shameful, and feels very personal to us. Sharing about our sin feels threatening, putting us at risk of…
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Lie 6: Some Sin Doesn’t Count
(A series on lies sin tells us to tempt us and trick us. Read the whole series here.) We like to restrict God’s definition of sin to make it more manageable. God doesn’t define sin manageable as just “doing bad stuff,” or “making mistakes.” God says sin is a condition we’re born into. Scripture uses…