Tag: spiritual growth
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What is Now True Because of Jesus
The Apostle Paul notably quipped: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1.16) The “gospel” is the message – the “Good News” – about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and of the Kingdom in and over which he reigns.. Paul…
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Directions for Reading Christian Books
[Adapted from Richard Baxter’s Christian Directory of 1673] Because God has made available the excellent, holy writings of his servants; and many may have a good book, on any day or at any hour of the week, even those who have no access to a good preacher – I advise all God’s servants to be…
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Lord, Make Me Like You
I don’t recall where or when I first heard following story, but it has often caused me to stop and ask myself about my attitude and motivations: A man prayed to the Lord: “Lord, make me like you; may my words & thoughts be like yours; may my actions produce great fruit…” This was his…
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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…
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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…
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3 Requirements of True Discipleship
Discipleship requires at least three things or its not true discipleship: 1. Gospel centered 2. Empowerment by the Spirit 3. Authentic Community
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5 Obedience Killing Lies
No doubt in my mind, it is one of the more difficult aspects of living in line with the gospel. Is it about grace, or is it about obedience? If I say “both” – which I do – then how does this not add a requirement of works to the gospel requirement of faith alone…
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Messy Christian Communities
As our church makes the slow but intentional shift toward Missional Communities, I found this illustration to be a good picture of the contrast between common perception and ideal reality of what such communities, or small groups, and even church is like. On the left side, “What People Think It Looks Like“, we see the…
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Seed of the Word in the Soil of the Heart
“Truly, the Bible as the Word of God has an inherent power, but it is not a coercive power. That is, the Bible does not work it’s effects mechanically. We don’t change just because we read it. Out minds may be engaged in the text, but something must happen in our hearts as well. In…
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Growing People for Service
by Daniel Radmacher Have you ever wondered why we are not born as adults? Probably not, I would wager. Seriously, though, have you ever considered the fact that God could very easily birth us as grown-ups? We could come out of the womb fully formed intellectually and spiritually, with only our physical dimensions to catch…
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10 Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health
How are you doing, Spiritually? That is an important question. God repeatedly encourages us to examine our hearts. And while many are aware that it ought to be our regular practice to take a spiritual pulse, I suspect that relatively few know how to read the gauges even if we were to try. Consequently, if…
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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. …
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Killing Me Softly: Putting Sin to Death
In Colossians 3.5, the Apostle Paul commands: Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Based on the language Paul uses it is clear that sin is in our hearts, and it will not just go away on its own. We need…
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12 Signs of a Transformed Life
What does a life transformed by the gospel look like? Well, in some ways that might depend upon what it looked like before gospel impact. Yet, Gordon MacDonald took a stab at describing a transformed life in an excellent article for Leadership Journal. Below are the 12 marks MacDonald identifies: Has an undiluted devotion to Jesus…
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How to Spend a Day With God
Richard Baxter wrote: A holy life is inclined to be made easier when we know the usual sequence and method of our duties – with everything falling into its proper place. In other words, our souls flourish most vibrantly when there is a natural rythm to our lives. These rythms include our daily and weekly routines and…
