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Imbalanced Worship?
In John 4:24, Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” In context, Jesus was not preaching a “sermon” about worship; instead, He was having a personal and intentional conversation with a Samaritan woman about her spiritual condition. In other words, He wanted to talk about something else. When the woman realized that the conversation was getting a little TOO personal, she changed the subject – like so many people still do…
TRIPADVISOR: ETERNITY
If you are ever traveling through Stroudsburg, PA, you might want to steer clear of the Pocono Plaza Inn. According to tripadvisor.com (a trusted consumer-based website that ranks hotels, airlines, restaurants, etc.), this hotel is in the top 10 worst hotels in the country. Some of the reviews for this hotel include: “There was a family in the room next to me. I heard them getting a shower. Shortly after the shower turned on I heard a gurgling sound in…
WHAT IS THE KINGDOM?
The “kingdom of God” is an important topic in the New Testament. In fact, this specific phrase appears at least 69 times in the New Testament. Despite the prevalence of this phrase in Scripture, many people are still uncertain as to what it is referring. Therefore, this article will seek to clarify what the kingdom is by highlighting four big takeaways from Scripture on the subject. First, the Bible indicates that the “kingdom of God” is a reference to His…
The Not-So-Magnificent Seven
If you are a fan of westerns, you will probably agree that “The Magnificent Seven” is a pretty great movie. In this movie, made in 1960, a poor village hires seven gunfighters to help defend them from a group of bandits who continue to loot and oppress them. Although the gunfighters sustain losses, they are successful in liberating the village from their oppressors. It is an exciting, thrilling, and even heartwarming movie about courage, sacrifice, and standing up for something…
A Quick Checkup
I have been wearing glasses and/or contacts since the third grade. Without corrective lenses, I have trouble seeing anything that isn’t directly in front of me. For those of you who understand prescription strengths, my contact lens prescription is now a -6.5 in my left eye and a -7.25 in my right eye. Yes, it’s bad. Lately, I’ve been using some reading glasses along with my contact lenses because my vision has gotten progressively worse over the past year. Sometimes…
DON’T BE UNPREPARED
On Wednesday, March 8, 2018 it was announced that Cape Town, South Africa may not face Day Zero this year. If you are unfamiliar with the crisis that the second largest city in South Africa has been facing, Day Zero is the designation given to an estimated day in the future when Cape Town will run out of water. The original Day Zero was April 22, 2018, but, thanks to significant conservation efforts, it appears that this day may be…
Father Walks Out On Sinning
As I was running on the treadmill this morning, I saw a news story on one of the televisions entitled, “Mom Walks Out on Signing.” It caught my attention, so I watched it for a few minutes. Jacob Copeland is a four-star wide receiver from Pensacola, FL, and he was recently faced with the difficult choice between Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama on National Signing Day. When he revealed his commitment to the Gators by putting on the Florida hat, his…
Cutting Your Losses
What’s the most expensive mistake you’ve ever made? If I had the time, I could tell you about a $12,000 mistake that I made several years ago. It was the result of misplaced trust, and although it seemed like a good idea at the time, it was $12,000 that I will probably never see again. Maybe your “expensive mistake” was in the form of a vehicle, a home, or a piece of equipment that caused more trouble than it was…
What Are You Waiting For?
The Bible tells us that he had been lame since birth. This man was “laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple” (Acts 3:2). Can you imagine living in this kind of situation? Can you imagine what it would be like to depend on others just to take you from one place to the other? Can you imagine having to beg for money every single day,…
Judas Was Cool
Over the past week, I have been studying John’s account of the “Last Supper.” John takes up a considerable amount of space within his Gospel regarding this one event; five chapters, to be exact (John 13-17). Through John’s writing, we are given a window into this intimate, important, and meaningful meal that was shared between Jesus and His disciples. There are many lessons that could be learned from this text, but for the purposes of this article, I would like…
Pride: Four Questions
Last week, we entered into a study on the destructive nature of pride. We saw the dangers and the deceptive nature of this deadly sin, and there can be no mistake that pride is not a trait that a Christian should allow into his or her life. As a wise man once wrote, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Pro. 16:18). The Bible is literally FILLED with warnings concerning pride, arrogance, haughtiness, conceit, boasting, etc.,…
How Are You Tracking?
I began 2018 by purchasing a new fitness tracker. I now wear it on my wrist, everywhere I go. Fun fact: I have the wrist of a 12-year old girl. This amazing device keeps up with my heart rate, calories, and steps; it monitors my sleep patterns, tells me the weather, and it keeps up with how many questions my kids ask me while we’re in the minivan. Ok, that last one isn’t true, but it would be cool if…