When Jesus spoke of being “pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8), He emphasized the inner person . . . the motive . . . the “heart.” The phrase does not refer simply to doing the right things but doing the right things for the right reason.
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Supernatural Ability of the ”Renewed Mind,” Part 2
As we allow God’s truth to pierce the tough, hardened barriers we have erected in our minds, we receive surprising benefits. We saw yesterday that God gives us His divine power (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Read MoreThree Realms of True Success
Yesterday, we looked at the apostle Peter’s three crucial realms related to true success: authority, attitude, and anxiety. Let’s translate those realms into practical principles. You could think of them in steps.
Read MoreGenuine Humility
When we think of what the great apostle Paul was like, the idea of humility isn’t the first one that jumps into our minds. Consider his own admission.
Read MoreA Model Servant
Perhaps the finest model, other than Christ Himself, was that young Jew from Tarsus who was radically transformed from a strong-willed official in Judaism to a bond servant of Jesus Christ—Paul.
Read MoreForgotten Words
“Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). Forgotten words. Truth be told, even in our churches we tend to get so caught up in a success-and-size race that we lose sight of our primary calling as followers of Christ.
Read MoreHonest to the Core
What is God looking for? He is looking for men and women whose hearts are completely His—completely . . . . God is not looking for magnificent specimens of humanity. He’s looking for deeply spiritual, genuinely humble, honest-to-the-core servants.
Read MoreSegments of Solitude
Solitude doesn’t refer to mere personal privacy for a twelve-second pit stop where we get a quick fix to reenter the race. It’s more than that.
Read MoreThe Tailor’s Name Is Change, Part One
When you boil life down to the nubbies, the name of the game is change. Those who flex with the times, refuse to be rigid, resist the mold, and reject the rut—ah, those are the souls distinctively used by God. To them, change is a challenge, a fresh breeze that flows through the room of routine and blows away the stale air of sameness. Stimulating and invigorating as change may be—it is never easy.
Read MoreSunday Listening, Part One
Most of us were born hearing well, but all of us must learn to listen well. Listening is a skill, an art that is in need of being cultivated. Dr. Ralph Nichols, considered by many to be an authority on the subject, believes that we think four, perhaps five, times faster than we talk. This means that if a speaker utters one hundred twenty words a minute, the audience thinks at about five hundred words a minute.
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