Tag: Spiritual Disciplines
-
Dangers of Spiritual Resolutions
I’ve been there. Likely, so have you. The year begins with good intentions, and maybe even a strong start, only to fizzle days later. The Statistic Brain Research Institute reports that 75% of New Years Resolutions are broken within the first week of the New Year. No doubt most of the others go down soon…
-
How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself
Paul, in Colossians 2.6, instructs us: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him…” Simple words, but powerfully practical when unpacked. How did we “receive” Jesus? By faith and repentance – or by repentance and faith. We are not quite sure which comes first, but perhaps…
-
Sailboat Spirituality
Do you sometimes have difficulty understanding or remembering who does what in our Spiritual maturation? We get that it is God who must make us alive to believe (regeneration), and that he gives us the gift of faith to believe, which leads to salvation (justification). But then what? Surely there is something we must do. …
-
Sabbath Rest: The Above All Commandment
Like many people, I get easily wearied by many of the Sabbath debates. What can you do? What can’t you do? While not unimportant, these questions miss the point. Jesus told us: “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2.27) In other words, Sabbath is a gift made or established by…
-
Revised Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards
As a young man – a teenager, really – Jonathan Edwards set down on paper a series of thoughts and practices to help cultivate growth in grace. (See 2 Peter 3.18) Edwards then re-read this list at least once a week to keep his mind focused and renewed. The result: A man of humble godliness,…
-
Prayer a Priority?
Sometimes the truth hurts, doesn’t it? Such is the case in a recent article by Jonathan Graf for Prayer Connect. In the article titled Living Up to a Core Value Graf writes: I was recently at a denominational gathering for a group that I know values prayer tremendously. In one of its core values it…
-
Looking at Lent With a New Lense
My friend Nathan Lewis has published a post that I think would be beneficial for some who do not come from a church background that observes the litugical calendar. One of the primary emphases of the Season of Lent is repentace. On the ecclesiastical calendar it is a time when Christians are encouraged to fast, sacrifice, and to recognize…
-
Faithfulness vs. Floating Along
Here is a helpful insight from D.A. Carson, in his book For the Love of God, that reminds us that while, as Christians, we are Justified and freely forgiven by God through Faith alone in Christ alone, we grow in Spiritual maturity by God’s grace AND our diligent faithfulness: People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort,…
-
Wisdom Wanted
I’ve been reading – and re-reading – through Proverbs the past several days. I have no specific aim in doing this. I have just sensed I am lacking wisdom and perspective. Billy Graham has said that, in addition to whatever else he was reading at the time, it was his pattern to read five Psalms…
-
Solitude
My friend, Seaton Garrett, has developed a great series called Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Disciplines. Here is an excerpt from part 6 on Solitude: To read the whole post click: Solitude Great series, Seaton.
