Experiences play a leading role in our character development. Our growing up years set the stage for the rest of our lives. We can become type-cast, locked into a role that is not of our choosing, a role that responds to the experiences of our young lives. An adult who suffered abuse as a child… Read More
The world is under God’s authority
Have you quit listening to the news because it makes you look at a bleak future in a world full of hate and suffering? And ramping up fear is a way to get more people watching and listening, great for the bottom line of radio and television stations.. If you are tired of fearing what… Read More
Gentle correction
Godly discipline allows children to please parents. It fits the punishment to the crime. Children come to understand cause and effect, sowing and reaping. Big crime gets a big punishment; little crime receives a little punishment. With abuse, punishment is arbitrary and often unfair, but Godly discipline distinguishes between a mistake and a deliberate sin. Or… Read More
Ephesians 3:11-13 He’s carrying me through my troubles.
When my circumstances stink, when I’m up against a wall, when I’m surrounded and the harder I try the deeper I sink, when I feel alone and abandoned, when others hurt me… God says, “Don’t be afraid; trust me. Boldly go out on the mission I laid out for you. I feel your pain–I’ve suffered… Read More
Ephesians 3:9-10 Chosen
Has God chosen you for a specific task? I’m in the grandma stage of my life, so I have a lot of years and choosings to look back at. I realize that God chose me for certain tasks at different stages in my life. It was only about ten years ago that I thought, “Aha.… Read More
Ephesians 3:7-8 What’s your excuse?
What’s stopping you from doing God’s mission for you? When I read through Paul’s list of excuses, I was surprised at the similarity to mine. I had always thought of Paul as an extremely confident, know-it-all kind of guy, and here I was reading a list of his anxieties about himself–lots of excuses giving his… Read More
Blueprint for character building
A blueprint is a detailed plan. Building a house without one is risky if you want it to last for any length of time and withstand weather or natural disasters. You need to follow rules of design that build strength in all the right places so rain won’t come through the roof and strong winds… Read More
