What does Christian maturity look like? Is it the things we do, like going to church or reading our Bibles? Is it the “big sins” we don’t do, like getting drunk or stealing? Or is Christian maturity something else? What did Paul mean when he said, “walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Eph. 4.1)?
Do you ever feel like you lack power or direction in you prayer life? Today, we’ll look at some examples of prayer that you can use to make your prayer life more effective. We’re also going to look at one of the most complete prophecies about the sufferings of Christ in the Old Testament and something that can affect us all … being the target of sarcasm and mean-spirited joking.
We call it by many different names: peer pressure, people-pleasing, co-dependency, and being an approval junkie. Proverbs tells us it is a trap into which we can easily fall. What is it and how can we be free from its grip?
Just as our sin nature blinds us to the danger of people-pleasing and co-dependency, we can be blinded about the nature of true freedom. Could something that looks like freedom actually bring you into bondage?
Is there true biblical prosperity and how does it differ from the popular “prosperity doctrine” preached from many pulpits today? If so, how do we put ourselves in a position to experience it? And what is the danger of believing an unbiblical doctrine concerning prosperity?
Worry, distress, anxiety, and depression are all on the rise. Yet, some people seem to have peace even in our troubled world. What’s the difference? And is it possible to have that peace?
Also, I can’t imagine anything worse than believing you are right with God and when you stand before Him, hear those words, “I never knew you.” Yet, in the “Parable of the Wheat and the Tares” and in the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus acknowledged that there are many sitting in churches who don’t belong to Him and will hear Him say, “I never knew you.”
James compared God’s Word to a mirror, and anytime we look into the mirror of the Word, it can help us see where we need to change and grow. As we meditate on the character of Christ, we can see where we fall short of His likeness. Today’s reading has two lists: the fruit of the Spirit and the deeds of the flesh. We may think we know which one describes us, but let’s take another look.
Could you be guilty of parental legalism? What do I mean by that? Parental legalism often focuses on behavior as opposed to the heart. These legalists make Christianity all about “the law,” often their own law or house rules. When they do, they run the risk of keeping their children from seeing their need for genuine heart change and a personal relationship with Christ. So … could you have fallen into some parental legalism, perhaps without realizing it?
We’ll also read about how and how not to communicate with a person who is acting like a fool, and how we can sometimes practice idolatry without recognizing it for what it is.
When people are asked whether they believe they will go to heaven and why, what is the most frequent answer? Why is their belief such a dangerous one? And what about after we’re saved, what keeps us right with God? Is it right living or something else?
Most of us have probably heard and thought more about politics in recent years than we would like or even thought possible. The political narrative has become so contentious and divisive that at times it seems to threaten the stability of our nation (and possibly yours wherever you live), and has led to the assassination of a young husband and father who dared to speak out in a hostile environment. How did we get here?
At its heart, what we’re seeing is a battle between right and wrong, light and darkness. But some of the blame goes back to an attitude that is not new. It was there in Isaiah’s time and has been alive and well in our nation for generations. But could we also bear some of the blame?
I’ve heard it said that we are all legalists at heart. Some people believe that we must earn our salvation by our good works. Others may realize we can only be saved by grace but add to the gospel by thinking there are things we must do to stay in God’s good graces. But there is another form of legalism that we may not have recognized as such. It’s the popular “faith and prosperity doctrine.” Don’t believe me? Keep reading.
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