Tag: Spiritual Health
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Some Sources of Spiritual Erosion
Earlier this Summer news outlets around the world reported two beach houses from the same village on the Outer Banks of coastal North Carolina crashed into the sea – within hours of each other. (WAVY) Fortunately no one was injured in either instance. But the cause in both cases? The constant pounding of the Atlantic…
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6 Signs of Living to Please God
The great English Puritan, Richard Baxter, exhorted: “See therefore that you live for God’s approval as that which you chiefly seek, and as that will suffice you.” Baxter suggested that we may discover for ourselves whether or not we are living chiefly for God’s pleasure, or for something else, by considering these six signs: 1. You…
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11 Personal Heart Examination Points to Consider
It might be beneficial to periodically take some moments to consider if, to some degree, we are functionally forgetting the gospel. “Forgetting the gospel?” Yep. As absurd as such a thing may sound, it is a very common spiritual issue for all of us. Consider 2 Peter 1.3-9: His divine power has granted to us all things that…
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11 Indicator Lights of Spiritual Condiditon
In my old Jeep it is not uncommon for one of the indicator lights to flash on. Sometimes more than one may illumine. Whenever this occurs it is an indication that there may be a problem. Because it is an old Jeep, some lights pop on more frequently than others – often enough that it…
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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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Idolotry pt 2 – C.J. Mahaney
As a follow up to some recent posts, one in particular, Disinfecting Ourselves of Spiritual Malware, I thought this video by C.J. Mahaney would be helpful and challenging. This is part 2 of 2.
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Idolotry pt 1 – C.J. Mahaney
As a follow up to some recent posts, one in particular, Disinfecting Ourselves of Spiritual Malware, I thought this video by C.J. Mahaney would be helpful and challenging. This is part 1 of 2.
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Disinfecting Ourselves of Spiritual Malware
In his masterful work, Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin observed: “Man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.” That may seem to be a peculiar notion. Some will, no doubt, simply chalk it up to “O, that Calvin guy had a lot of strange ideas”. Some, being a bit more…
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My Spiritual EKG
“How are you doing, Spiritually?” That is an important question. The Great Physician, by both direct and indirect statements in his Word, repeatedly encourages us to examine our hearts. But while many may be aware that it ought to be our regular practice to take a Spiritual pulse, I suspect that relatively few know how to read…
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Idol Factory
John Calvin said: “The human heart is a factory of idols… Every one of us is, from his mother’s womb, expert in inventing idols.” This truth is difficult to convey. Few people think of themselves as idolators. And when I as a pastor, or a friend, suggest to people that they – like me –…
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3 Responses to Sin
“When we as Christians sin, we can react in one of three ways: 1) We can become hardened to our sin. 2) We can sink into utter despair and say, ‘Its all over.’ I’ve known Christians who have spent twenty years despairing over one sin…. [T]he only right course of action for us as Christians…
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Common Perils of the Professionally Holy
There are some peculiar perils prevalent among the professional holy – those in full time ministry or service for God. High on this list: We know a lot of stuff and we do a lot of good things. And it is easy to misconstrue either, or both, of these with being righteous. But neither of…
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Prayer: A Way to Take Your Spiritual Pulse
We may judge the state of our hearts by the earnestness of our prayers. You cannot make a rich man beg like a poor man; you cannot make a man that is full cry for food like one that is hungry. No more will a man who has a good opinion of himself cry for…
