As followers of God, we have chosen to grow in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ. There are two main ways for us to measure our spiritual growth – motivation and action. Motivation is the internal desire to grow, to change, to accept God’s perspectives and motivations in all aspects of our lives. Action is a literal external behavioral change - the evidence of that motivation. It is a change that can be perceived and observed in our daily lives. All motivation and actions are … [Read more...] about Ways to Measure Spiritual Growth
Tools
Garments, Wineskins and Fasting
Parading their self-righteousness, the Pharisees, the religious elite of Christ’s time, and their followers fasted twice a week. Yet the disciples of Christ did not. The religious leaders demanded to know from Christ why his followers didn’t fast. Jesus answered with a parable about wineskins and garments. “Then He spoke a parable to them: 'No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the … [Read more...] about Garments, Wineskins and Fasting
Perils Of Spiritual Denial
How does spiritual denial affect our preparation for Christ’s return? The apostles Peter and Paul initially felt that Christ would return in their lifetime. Much later, realizing he would die before Christ returned, Peter worried that God’s people would grow slack and forget the intensity needed to endure. We may know what is right, but do we act on it? Or do we justify our lack of energy for God’s way of life? Once, while browsing a gift shop, I found a miniature baseball bat that had … [Read more...] about Perils Of Spiritual Denial
Staying Awake
Are we awake spiritually? Or are we too caught up in our daily tasks? Let’s consider the periods of slumbering and awakening in our lives, and how we can learn to stay awake. God’s Holy Spirit is active, but our human spirit, the “spirit in man” (Job 32.8), which makes us each a unique individual, can slumber if we prevent God’s Spirit from working in us. Just like when we are driving along, mind wandering, and find that we’ve lost track of how we got to where we are, so a slumbering spirit … [Read more...] about Staying Awake
Stay Alert in Satan’s World
Many years ago, in the mid-1990s, while looking for a new church hall, I heard an interesting tale about a piano. There in South Florida, the retiree population loved to dance, so dance halls were plentiful to rent. At one location, the hall director was having trouble getting the stage arranged to his satisfaction. Specifically, the piano was in the wrong spot. When he tried to move it, the regular customers protested and demanded it be moved back. Frustrated, the director gave up. Some … [Read more...] about Stay Alert in Satan’s World
Hear The Voice
In the midst of the coronavirus disaster, we are hearing many voices. The fact that the virus at the center of the crisis has many unknowns increases the cacophony. We hear experts contradicting each other, politicians leveraging the situation and the world’s top medical professionals doing their best to inform the public. All of this is natural as nations struggle to come to terms with something they were unprepared for and are uncertain as to how to respond. What are we to believe? … [Read more...] about Hear The Voice
The Most Dangerous Temptation That Faces Our Youth
Imagine your beaming little boy or energetic little girl. You’re watching them grow and develop year after year and you wish that time would stand still. “Stop growing…” is a phrase you’ve almost certainly told your child at some point in time in their young life. The years go by, and you see this innocent and inquisitive child learn new things. You know they’re going to be exposed to some filthy things in their life. But right now, you see the light in their eyes and the purity in their spirit … [Read more...] about The Most Dangerous Temptation That Faces Our Youth