“All of us have wondered at times why God doesn’t do more to fix our problems. But our human eyes often fail to see that God isn’t rushing to change our circumstances because he is concerned with a much more serious problem – our character. While you struggle with the woes of this world, God’s…
Martin Luther wrote that for proper stewardship, “there are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, mind, and the purse.” Deut. 13-15 explains proper stewardship begins with loving God (conversion of the heart). It continues with confronting sin and eating healthy (conversion of the mind). It concludes with paying the firstfruits of your earnings,…
Many Christians sacrifice for Christ in their own strength. As a result, they betray Him through disobedience. Fear and anxiety and fear become the fruit. The Christian life is impossible to live. That is why divine resources are required. Christ’s relationship with His Father models the dependent relationship we should have with Him through the…
Researcher George Barna writes that for years we have been exposing Christians to scattered, random bits of biblical knowledge in our church services and Christian education classes. They hear a principle here and read a truth there, then nod their heads in approval and feel momentarily satisfied after receiving this new insight into their faith….
Persecution and bad government spurs church growth. But lack of relationship or contact with a certain people group causes them to be stereotyped by the ruling class. In Ex. 1, it led to unjust policies that violated God’s moral commands like killing male babies and turning Israel into slaves. However, the good news–disciples multiplied into…
Since becoming a believer, I have observed the difficulty in maintaining a balance between building up believers and reaching those outside the faith. Embracing the two Great Commandments of loving God with all our heart, mind and soul & loving our neighbor as ourselves empowers us to make disciples (Matt. 22:34-40; 28:18-20). Churches often try…
My parents divorced while I was graduating from college so have some understanding of family dynamics when trouble hits a home. Not only is divorce ravaging homes, many fathers abuse their children physically and emotionally. More stress comes when people lose their jobs in a poor economy. How do we minister in this climate of…
Sometimes it seems everything goes against us. People refuse to help us finish a project. Our best friend makes decisions that violate our convictions. An agreement with someone comes back to bite us. It’s tempting in times like these to withdraw, give up and pull out of the battle. In this study, we receive encouragement…