Have you ever rescued someone from drowning? If so, you know how victims often fight their rescuers in the hysteria of that terrifying moment. The same is often true when an attempt is made to rescue those who are floundering spiritually because their faith has suffered shipwreck. Author and teacher Howard Hendricks tells the story […]
Read MoreTag Archives: James
Just Do It
Have you noticed that many of our churches have turned into extended Bible conferences, places where we love to sit and soak in the Word like sponges instead of being challenged and given opportunities to launch ourselves out into the world? Don’t get me wrong, the church is the right place to learn how to […]
Read MoreUnearthing Our Walk with Christ
On more than one occasion recently I’ve found myself pondering the words of Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” That statement rings true because things tend to get complicated over time. We begin our Christian life with utter delight and simplicity. But as tradition, religion, others’ expectations, and too many activities begin to […]
Read MoreThe Freedom of Forgiving
Have you been hurt so deeply that you feel trapped by the pain? Living with the memories of the offense feels like you’re locked in a stone fortress. Roaming the dark hallways, you search for an escape from the looming images of betrayal that line the walls. No way out appears, save one—the way of […]
Read MoreThe Devil Made Me Do It?
More than thirty years ago Flip Wilson kept America in stitches with his television characters “Reverend Leroy,” the friendly, pompous pastor of the “Church of What’s Happening Now,” and “Geraldine Jones,” the sassy African-American woman in a miniskirt. Whenever Geraldine would impulsively buy a dress—or do anything she shouldn’t—she excused her urge by uttering the […]
Read MoreWhat the Bible Says about Lust
What the Bible Says about Lust God’s Word speaks to the depths of our sensual desire. Moral compromise is challenged by the truth of God’s unwavering standard of holiness. The Bible offers words of wisdom and instruction, prompting us to trust God for our deliverance from worldly desire. The following passages reveal the destructive power […]
Read MoreThe Power of Truth: Helping Your Husband Break Free from Internet Pornography
Pornography is a sexual sin in a class of its own. Its arrow is aimed at one of a woman’s deepest fears—that her husband’s heart is not faithful. It strikes one of her deepest insecurities—that, somehow, those images in magazines and on TV really are what her husband desires. And it leaves a mortal wound […]
Read MoreGreener-Grass Syndrome
“We were just platonic friends when he added me as a friend on Facebook. A month later, I decided to leave my husband and children for him. After all, I was so unhappy in my marriage. Shouldn’t I be with someone who makes me happy?” Sound familiar? If not, it will, as more and more […]
Read MoreDependence
For most of us, asking for help is difficult. I really don’t prefer it; some of you may not as well. Yet, God lets us know time and time again that we need help. After all, He refers to us most often as sheep—the most difficult and demanding of any livestock on earth. Admitting need […]
Read MoreMind Over Matter: The Heresy of Gnosticism both Then and Now
Take this simple true or false quiz. Ready? Prayer is more important than mowing your widowed grandmother’s lawn. Sharing the gospel is more important than taking a meal to a new mother and father just home from the hospital. Doing “sacred” work, such as preaching or being a missionary, is more important than “secular” work, […]
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