The following content came from a January 2009 men’s breakfast at which I spoke. It is a sobering, awe-inspiring, standard-raising thing for God to say to us: “Be holy like I am holy.” The outline below includes just some of the many meditations that we might biblically derive from the call to be God-imitators:
How Do Smartphones Affect Relationships?
[I am reposting these thoughts from guest writer Noah Weaver, because this is such a helpful and timely topic for us all in this digital age.] The material below was shared at a recent men’s breakfast at our church. The insights given are biblical, relevant, and insightful. And they are things everyone in our day needs to be conscious of and intentional about as electronic devices are increasingly woven into the fabric of our daily lives. While smartphones may be relatively new, human invention and ingenuity is not. In a sense, Paul was using the technology of his day as
7 Ways That We Worship God
Considering that the first command is that we love and worship God, it is important for us to ask, “How do we worship God?” God of course does not leave us to guess about the answer. And as we might expect, in worshiping such a good and gracious God we not only glorify him but find satisfaction and eternal joy ourselves!
Let Us Declare Our Dependence
In the United States we are thankful, as a nation, for the Independence Day that we celebrate each summer. How God has blessed this country! While its story has been far from perfect, the United States has played a unique role in human history. Principles of biblical wisdom grounded the forming of our very Constitution. And, as a result of many of those principles believed and lived out among the American people, we have seen unparalleled prosperity over the past century and have become a singular superpower in an increasingly global society. Yet, may we never forget — in this
“Act Like Men.” What Does It Mean?
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong (1 Corinthians 16:13). The whole phrase “act like men” comes from one Greek word, basically taking the noun for “men” and turning it into a verb, i.e. “Be men,” or “Man up!” It is a peppy, catchy phrase, but what does it mean? What is Paul specifically wanting us to do, as a result of this command? What does it mean in biblical terms, to “man up”?
Change Me, Not My Circumstances
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds (James 1:2). This may be the hardest thing in the Christian life. It’s simple to understand, but seems impossible to do. How do you find joy during a battle with cancer? How do you rejoice when you can’t find a job or can’t kick an addiction; when you’re mocked for your faith; when all you want are your circumstances to change?
What (or Who) Is Your Trophy?
In honor of the Academy Awards, the Hollywood Reporter some time ago revealed the surprising places stars store their statues after finally winning them. One star stores his in the refrigerator, another in the bottom of a closet gathering dust. Tom Hanks’ two best actor statues? He says, “They are on the family trophy shelf, next to the soccer trophies. I think the World’s Greatest Mom trophy from Mother’s Day is up there as well.”
“Open My Eyes”: a Meditation on God’s Word
Here’s a brief meditation I wrote down from Psalm 119, a great text for Bible reading. You might find it encouraging as you continue looking for wonderful things in God’s law this year: “Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18).
Judah, Tamar, & the Messy Messianic Line
Genesis 38 is nothing less than scandalous. Although a passage of Scripture that talks openly about embarrassing sin might at first affront our cultured sensibilities, the reality is this is exactly the kind of Bible we would wish for! A Bible that is about real sinners, who make really big mistakes, and mess up in horribly embarrassing ways, just like us – who God nonetheless saves, and even uses, in his great plan of Redemption.
God Is Not Man
Australian historian and philosopher John Dickson points out an almost undeniable paradox in Western culture and spirituality: You might call it a spirituality of distraction. It’s not that we don’t think about the “great things,” it’s just that we find the distraction of the “lesser things” easier to handle. Three out of four of us believe in the existence of God and the reality of the afterlife, according to the most recent research, but you’d never know it just listening to the conversations at work or in the pub, or to the public discourse in the media. We have this
Benefits of Reading Through the Bible
I recently finished reading through the Bible for the sixteenth time. While this is a personal milestone I’m thankful for, I certainly am not boasting about it. In fact, when I consider that George Mueller, who was converted at the age of 20 and died at the age of 92, read the Bible through 100 times while simultaneously caring for over 10,000 orphans—I am a bit embarrassed and reminded I have a long way to go!
The Faith of Abel & the False Religion of Cain
In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell (Genesis 4:3-5). Just one chapter after the fall, and just one generation from Adam and Eve, we already see the beginning of false religion. And we see how dangerous, self-deceptive, and disappointing it is! Acceptable Worship Notice this:
Judah, Tamar, & the Messy Messianic Line (audio only)
Genesis 38 is nothing less than scandalous. Although a passage of Scripture that talks openly about embarrassing sin might at first affront our cultured sensibilities, the reality is this is exactly the kind of Bible we would wish for! A Bible that is about real sinners, who make really big mistakes, and mess up in horribly embarrassing ways, just like us – who God nonetheless saves, and even uses, in his great plan of Redemption. If we read the Bible with this theme in mind, then Genesis 38 does not seem at all out of place. In fact, it sews
Panning for Time: How I Finally Found the Gold Right In Front of Me
I am not what they call a math brain. Yet not long ago I stumbled upon an equation which thrills me now as much as it did when I first blinked at it with stupid awestruck eyes. It goes like this: 7 x 365 / 60 = 42.58. As I say, thrilling. Really, it is. Here’s why: Let’s say you do an activity for seven minutes every day—and keep it up every day for a year. That’s forty-two and a half hours every year!
You Are the Body of Christ
The body does not consist of one member but of many (1 Corinthians 12:14). As Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, it seems that some of their members, far from consciously affirming the diversity in their midst, were working against it. One group in the church was suggesting everyone should be just like them—have the same ministry, the same social status, the same convictions about idol-food, the same favorite preacher. Others, who felt inferior, were allowing themselves to drift into inactivity by embracing the lie that they were not useful to the church. Into this unhealthy atmosphere, Paul speaks,