The children worked long and hard on their little cardboard shack. It was to be a special spot—a clubhouse, where they could meet together, play, and have fun. Because a clubhouse has to have rules, they came up with three: Nobody act big. Nobody act small. Everybody act medium. Not bad theology! In different words, […]
Read MoreCategory Archives: Christian Living
A Tried Stone
In the groundwork of any significant building project there comes a moment when the foundation stone is laid. Traditionally this stone determines the dimensions and the alignment for the rest of the structure. Particularly in ancient stone buildings – which didn’t often use mortar – getting the foundation stone just right would bode well for […]
Read MoreA Battle for Integrity
I must tell you that I have been troubled regarding the face of things in our country and within the family of God. My major battle has had to do with one word, one concept. My battle has to do with integrity. In our nation—and in the church—there has been a falling away, a breakdown, […]
Read MoreA Season for Humble Gratitude
It’s baaaack! The age-old yuletide season is about to slip in the door once again. Better not shout, better not pout, for the shopping precinct will be playing “Jingle Bells” several thousand times between now and 25th December. If you’re not careful, the crowds and commercialism will weigh you down like that fourth helping of […]
Read MoreA Place to Stand
Many history books will tell you that Leatherhead, Surrey – not far from where Insight for Living UK has its office – was the town where John Wesley preached his final message, just a few days before his death at the age of 87. Not many of those books remark on the text of that […]
Read MoreA Balanced View of Shame
“You should be ashamed of yourself!” No doubt many of us as kids heard remarks like that from our mom or dad. Maybe we had lied, played with matches, or been stopped for speeding in our mom’s car. Whatever the infraction, we all implicitly knew (and rightly so) that we should feel bad about the […]
Read MoreCharacter: It’s Been Buried Long Enough
Consider the words of Solomon: “He who walks in integrity walks securely, / But he who perverts his ways will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9). Before reading on, go back and read that again. By the time Job had reared his family, established himself in the business world, and gotten up in years, he had […]
Read MoreBurning Ourselves: The Tongue’s Hidden Hurt
“Remember,” Smokey the Bear warned millions of television viewers, “only YOU can prevent forest fires.” But what if Smokey had faced the inferno we carry around with us daily—in our mouths? Maybe his warning wouldn’t have centered on misused matches but on combustible conversations. In fact, his public-service announcement may have sounded a bit like […]
Read MoreThe Three-Second Pause
The exercise of this discipline called self-control prevents desire from becoming a dictator. For the person without Christ, the desires dictate and he or she obeys. Those in Christ, living under the authority of His Spirit and ruled by Him, are able to defy this once-powerful dictator. As a result, we experience a transforming change […]
Read MoreBattle of the Will
What battles are you fighting today? I’m not referring to those we read or hear about in the news. I mean the wars that rage inside you—which ones are you fighting today? Here are some of mine: holding on to resentment, allowing frustration to overwhelm me, wishing for something easier, wondering why trials continue, and […]
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