Christian Living
We’ve all heard of the three primary colors; blue, red & green. Every color we see is a combination of these three basic wave lengths. The sad truth is that the same is true of evil. All evil may be boiled down to one or more of three evil roots. Are you a follower of Christ? If so a huge part of your job description is to pull those roots out of your life as deeply as possible.
This world is beautiful. This world is wonderful. This world is filled with creatures who in some way all reflect the majesty and character of God. Yet, according to 1 John 2:15 we are not to love this world. In fact it says that if we love the world then we don’t love God! What in the world does this mean?
In the last couple of weeks we have affirmed that in the Christian life there is an expected growth curve. We have also identified four levels of growth: the infant, the child, the young adult, the parent. Today we focus on some clues as to what will help us progress from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity.
Besides looking cute, what do babies do best? They grow! Sometimes slowly, others times quickly, but, step by step, over the years babies turn into kids, into youth, into adults! Physically we are programmed to grow, the same is true spiritually! There is an expected growth curve to the Christian life. The good news is that while our role in the growth process is often difficult it is always quite doable! We can view God’s growth map in four levels…
Loving parents long to see their children fly, to soar above the stuff of this world and to succeed in life. God is a loving parent and He wants to see us fly! Flying requires confidence! Ultimate Confidence is the kind of basic spiritual confidence that provides the foundation and framework for general life confidence. In our passage this week we learn about the basics of this kind of confidence.
We all struggle! We struggle not just with external challenges but with internal challenges and, yes, with what the Bible calls sin. This struggle raises some questions: Is it ever possible to win? When I mess up what does God think of me? Is there a sin too big for God to forgive? If I struggle with some sin am will I go to heaven? Our passage will help us make sense of the struggle.
Socrates said, “The un-examined life is not worth living”. This is true! Over and over again in a variety of ways the Bible says the same thing! You see, the true Christian life is a well-examined life. The Bible, other believers, even the circumstances of life are all mirrors to help those who will, examine themselves – and GROW! In Psalm 139 King David cries out, Oh God, you have searched me…keep it up! Are you willing to let God KNOW YOU?
Shame is a good thing – as long as one is ashamed about the right thing. Today shame has been turned on its head. People are ashamed about minor things and not ashamed over major things. In our passage the apostle Paul basically says “shame on you” to the believers living in Corinth. Why? Because they were not living up to the truth of the Resurrection. It is good to be ashamed when…
According to a recent Gallup Poll, “Americans are smiling less and worrying more than they were a year ago, happiness is down and sadness is up, we are getting less sleep and smoking more cigarettes, and depression is on the rise." Why? The answer appears to have to do with uncertainty. We are less certain than before. Certainty is down, uncertainty is up, and that makes us sad. Is there a cure? There sure is…
