Loser's Limp
November 26, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving! I know…I’m a few days late with that greeting but I had full intentions of getting this out prior to Turkey Day, but two things got in my way. The first was that I suffered from an overdose of Tryptophan….evidently when you eat an entire Turkey you get a chemical reaction…..Butterball should put out a disclaimer!! The second setback was just that…..a “set back.” Due to my “Butterball” belly, I have been unable to reach the keyboard for several days, thus delaying this writing.
For me, the perfect Thanksgiving weekend has three components: …
Getting Practical About Love
“Little children, let us stop saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions.” 1 John 3:18 (LB)
My big sister said, “Since the two babies are due almost at the same time, it would be like having twins. I’d love to have two babies at once.”
She was talking about adopting a baby in addition to the one she carried. She was talking about adopting my girlfriend’s baby. She was talking about helping us through a crisis pregnancy.
These are words of love from a sister, love she showed by action. Love is not a passive …
Playing Second Fiddle
2007/11/26
Playing Second Fiddle
by Jon Walker
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1 (NIV)
Next time you bite into a hamburger, I want you to think about how your trip to the fast-food-burger-barn can become a ‘spiritual act of worship.’
The Apostle Paul calls us to be living sacrifices, alive in Christ — moment-by-moment being conformed by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ. Our spiritual act of worship includes gratefully acknowledging that our heavenly Father is still on the …
God Meant It for Good
“… You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result …” Genesis 50:20 (NIV)
May this be a time of Thanksgiving for you – Praise God that he makes “all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, HCSB)
The life of Joseph was anything but peaceful. It was filled with youthful folly, broken dreams, and the mean-spirited actions of others. Yet he remained a man remarkable for his lack of bitterness or regret, always seeing God as the …
Settling Our Relationships
Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. (2 Corinthians 2:7 NIV)
We just discussed this truth: When we’re hurt by someone, we have a choice to make; will we move toward retaliation or resolution?
The Bible says we’re to settle our relationships with each other, consistently forgiving others and receiving forgiveness from others. (2 Corinthians 5:18; 2 Corinthians 2:7)
The power of God – working within us – means we’re no longer slaves to unforgiveness or bitterness. We can ask God to help us release any offender and find the courage …
hey dad, keep the change
If you claim to be a Christian dad … I don’t think it’s practical to think that your kids expect you to be perfect. However, I do believe children can learn the most about God by watching a father who quickly admits when he is wrong and asks God to change him. When kids see their dad changing to be more like Jesus … this, to me, represents fatherhood the way the Lord intended.
As a father and husband from 1969 to 1995 I did next to nothing to model what it meant to be a God honoring dad …
God works in all things
On October 21st … just 4 weeks ago … I was back stage at our church waiting to give an announcement to our congregation. It was Baptism Sunday and I listened as Paige, 11 years old, and Taylor, 10 years old, both gave their personal testimonies about how they made a commitment to believe and trust in Jesus as their Savior. Both girls were smiling and excited to proclaim their faith through their obedience to scriptural believer’s baptism.
This past week we conducted funerals for Paige and Taylor … both girls lost long and difficult battles with cancer. …
Fellowship Without Forgiveness: Impossible
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV)
Fellowship without forgiveness is impossible.
As believers, we’re called “to settle our relationships with each other.” (2 Corinthians 5:18 MSG) We need to consistently forgive others and receive forgiveness from others, or we’ll “give up in despair.” (2 Corinthians 2:7 CEV)
Whenever we’re hurt by someone, we have a choice to make: Will we focus on retaliation or resolution?
The Bible speaks candidly about settling the score: “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each …
now here is the problem … it's me
Tonight I have a Sports Leadership Training session at our church. Invited are 50 adult men and women who lead the 24 sports ministries within our three campus locations. As the Sports Pastor I am directing this training … which serves more than 1,500 adults in our church sports programs.
Although I am blessed to have several leaders who understand and embrace our mission and goals … there are some that do not. Thus, here is the problem. There are some who claim the title of a Christian and sports ministry leader … yet never tell their …
A Family of God’s People
Love your brothers and sisters in God’s family. (1 Peter 2:17b NCV)
We long to belong.
All believers “belong in God’s household with every other Christian” (Ephesians2:19 LB). This means church is not something we go to – rather it’s something we belong to – a family of God’s people. It’s more than an organization, more than an institution, even more than a group of like-minded people.
We are a family forged in the fires of God’s love, and we are to “be devoted to each other like a loving family” (Romans 12:10a GW). We are to love one another like brothers and …
