Godly parents want their children to learn, accept, and know the lesson below. Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes… Read More
Let the Healing Begin
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
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
Parental discipline instills power and expertise
We are born with little power or expertise—we depend on those around us for everything. As we grow, we internalize and identify with how things are done, and we develop coping mechanisms based on our experiences. The power a child needs as he grows into adulthood comes from his early identification with authority. Were his… 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
