Tag: faith and growth

Weekly Round-Up

Happy Friday! Wow, it was a productive week for me.  Hope it was for you too.  This week we talked about drive-by evangelism, how we talk about sin, embracing the beautiful mystery of God's invitation, and one reason children raised in the church tend to leave it behind as adults. There's also the most recent … Continue reading Weekly Round-Up

How We Talk About Sin

I worry sometimes that in my own life I fall into the trap of believing there are "acceptable" Christian sins like pride and arrogance and envy. That there are sins that are shameful and sins that are, somehow, not - sins that should be hidden from the world and from others, and sin that it's okay to admit. God has been convicting me about this lately. [Click title to read more.]

The Strength In Mercy and Grace

Mercy and grace somehow have a reputation as "soft" virtues. But I don't think that's quite accurate. Mercy and grace, too, can convey astonishing power. Just as the silence that follows the thunder can be more devastating than the thunder itself, so can God's grace and mercy cut through the sorrow and pain and hardened hearts of the world. [Click title to read more.]

I’ve Seen The Monster, And It Is Me

We were not saved because we were good or special; God's grace is not something we conferred upon ourselves. Acting as though being a "sinner saved by grace" is a personal credit to us is like a beggar acting as though it's a noble act for him to nod his head "yes" when someone offers to drop food into his shaking hands. [Click title to read more.]

As A Christian, Doing Your Best Is Not The Exception. It’s The Rule.

God obviously doesn't expect that every Christian will be a CEO or a straight-A student or first chair violin in the orchestra. But he does expect wholehearted effort, exemplary behavior, and diligent work: the fundamental elements, in other words, of a good student, a good worker, a good citizen. [Click title to read more.]

Christian Peer Pressure: When It’s Okay To Be Out Of Step Sometimes

The thing is, peer pressure to participate in certain activities or trends or events exists among Christians as much as it exists in any other group, and I'd argue that for Christians it's especially difficult to navigate, because we often wonder if it's okay not to like something "godly," or to want to do something different than all of the believers around us are doing. When is it okay to take a pass and not participate, to be the odd duck of the group? [Click title to read more.]

Alone and Known Before God

It's self-editing. We all do it. And whether we realize it or not, we do it in our day-to-day life as much as we do it on Facebook. As humans, we're constantly censoring our lives and presenting some careful "best" version of ourselves to others. We cut out the parts of ourselves we deem unsavory or unnecessary, and we showcase the best ones for everyone to see. But God always and eternally sees our whole and unadulterated self. [Click title to read more.]