Christian Life

Is God Judging Us or Disciplining Us? - Part 1

To Embrace All of Christ, Steer Clear of Quashing Him and Cherry-Picking His Teachings

To Embrace All of Christ, Steer Clear of Quashing Him and Cherry-Picking His Teachings

During young adulthood, Mark, who was uninterested in Christ, worked as a laborer painting houses. He often worked alongside another young man, who was a strong believer in Christ.

Is God Judging Us or Disciplining Us? - Part 2

Is God Judging Us or Disciplining Us? - Part 2

In part 1, we discussed the first of two erroneous ideas many Christ-followers have: I must pay for certain sins in spite of what the Bible says to the contrary. In part 2, we will look at the opposite side of the spectrum, where many do not fully understand the full weightiness of their sins, and in return make an equally dangerous mistake.

Is God Judging Us or Disciplining Us? - Part 1

Is God Judging Us or Disciplining Us? - Part 1

Do you remember the old village stocks? They were wooden structures positioned in the village square. Many had a hole through which the head was placed, and two holes for the left and right hands. Some had holes for the feet.

Does Your Self-Image Match God’s Image of You?

Does Your Self-Image Match God’s Image of You?

For those who follow Christ, believing in “God’s image” of us means we stand on this truth: God sees us as those He loves, accepts, and values. In fact, this is why He sent Christ to die for us—to demonstrate His unconditional love, to enable absolute acceptance forever, and to reveal thereby our intrinsic worth to Him.

Embracing Optimistic Realism: Finding Middle Ground Between Naive Optimism and Cynical Pessimism

Embracing Optimistic Realism: Finding Middle Ground Between Naive Optimism and Cynical Pessimism

Have you ever met someone so optimistic that you considered them more naive than realistic? Because they believe everything to be hunky dory, they blind themselves to the red flags leading to bad decisions and painful consequences.

Does Your Self-Image Match God’s Image of You?

Embracing Optimistic Realism: Finding Middle Ground Between Naive Optimism and Cynical Pessimism

We Don’t Know Exactly How the Thoughts We Think Originate, Including Why You Decided to Read This Title [Video]

We Don’t Know Exactly How the Thoughts We Think Originate, Including Why You Decided to Read This Title [Video]

Why did you decide to click on this article and give it a read? Neurologically speaking, nobody knows! Neuroscientists don’t know how we think thoughts in the first place. This remains elusive. If I think to myself, Raise my right hand and wave at my neighbor, the “origin of thought” or the “neural basis of thought” continues under investigation. Even the smartest scientists and researchers do not know how that thought originates.

An Apology Becomes Suspicious When Overshadowed by Excessive Explanation

An Apology Becomes Suspicious When Overshadowed by Excessive Explanation

John made a thoughtless comment to Kelly when arguing about her father and mother visiting them for Christmas. He said, “Your parents stay too long and continually complain while here.” Hurt and offended by his criticisms, Kelly began to cry. John, recognizing he should not have said those things, tried to apologize.

How Will You Respond When the Tragedy Seems “Meaningless”?

How Will You Respond When the Tragedy Seems “Meaningless”?

Mark Twain believed he was brilliant at highlighting experiences and apparent contradictions that pointed in his mind to God's cruelty, which led him to reject the God of the Bible. For instance, in his novel The Mysterious Stranger, he wrote:

Parallel Worlds: Virtual Particles and the Mysteries of Jesus [Video]

Parallel Worlds: Virtual Particles and the Mysteries of Jesus [Video]

I find it fascinating that scientists have discovered a set of laws in the universe beyond our current understanding of the laws of physics. These laws are counterintuitive and appear to defy our current laws of physics.