When we go through pain and difficulty often our default is to think God doesn’t love us or that we don’t have enough faith. Nonsense like this is associated with the Accuser of our souls and popular heresies like the “health and wealth,” or prosperity gospel. Contrary to these intrusive lies, here is what the Bible teaches: 1Therefore, since we … Read More
Five Strategies for Fighting Lust
Although I’ve written previously about God’s essential role in changing us from the inside out, I want to share five practical strategies that have helped me the most in fighting lust: Foresight: Make choices in moments of strength to prepare for moments of weakness. For example, if you are tempted to look at porn at a certain time of day … Read More
The Problem with “Church-free” Christianity
A local church defined biblically is “a group of believers banded together for worship, edification, service, fellowship, and outreach; accepting spiritual leadership; willing to minister to all segments of society through the various gifts in the body;” and regularly practicing the sacraments.[1] That’s why any celebration of a “church-free” Christianity is problematic. Although I’ve had many seasons where I didn’t … Read More
My Favorite Eugene Peterson Quotes
On Monday, October 24th, Eugene Peterson, pastor, professor, and author of The Message and numerous other books died at the age of eighty-five. He left a rich, reflective, earthy, and grace-filled legacy. Below are the insights from his writings that I’ve appreciated or have influenced me the most. At the beginning, I’ve also included one passage from The Message because … Read More
I Can’t Seem to Change
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. –Oscar Wilde As a carpenter, it’s no secret I’ve installed a lot of windows. The time I jumped out of one, however, is something I’ve kept hidden until now. I’ll explain below. The Christian faith teaches that the ground is level at the foot of … Read More