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

Are Our Parents To Blame For Our Issues? Part 2

Are Our Parents To Blame For Our Issues? Part 2

In part 1, we asked the question: Can we blame the problems in our lives or in our relationships on our parents? Many of us tend to think this at least occasionally at different times in our lives, and the Bible has a few things to tell us on the topic.1. Parents do betray us. Jesus taught, “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child” (Matt. 10:21).The question arises: Because of this mistreatment by our parents, are we damaged goods forever, meaning we will never fully be happy or successful because of their failings toward us?

Are Our Parents To Blame For Our Issues? Part 1

Are Our Parents To Blame For Our Issues? Part 1

Many of us look at the things in ourselves that we do not like and at the negative reactions from people we do not like, and we wonder, Do these problems exist in my life because of my parents? If they had been better parents, or had treated me better, then surely I’d be a better person with fewer personal and interpersonal problems, right?First, we see things in ourselves that make us unhappy.

Does Your Spouse Dictate Your Worth?

Does Your Spouse Dictate Your Worth?

A husband dealing with the possibility of his wife leaving him reached out to me. I responded to him: "The challenge before you…is to bring your identity in Christ to your marriage instead of deriving your identity from your marriage. Though your wife will affect many of your emotions—sadness, anger, frustration, happiness, contentment—in the deepest sense your sense of worth must be derived from your walk with Christ.” He wrote back:

Experiencing the Presence of God, Part 2

Experiencing the Presence of God, Part 2

As we discussed in part one, we can fully devote ourselves to the Lord whether we are celibate and undistracted or married and distracted. The point is simply to draw near to God and begin to experience His awesome presence in your life. When we do, good things happen. God's Peace - Do you want the peace of God? A wife wrote me…