Christian Living

Several weeks ago a devastating storm ripped through our city. Over 1,000 houses were destroyed, and tragically, four lives were lost. I was out of town for a youth rally when the messages began lighting up my phone. Church members were asking if we were okay.

Everyone has faith in something or someone. We place our faith in the vehicle we drive to work and the simple appliances that we use. It is truly amazing how many things that we place our faith in throughout our daily lives.

This year, my church’s theme is taken from two passages of Scripture, one in the Old Testament and one in the New. The first is Psalm 46:10 which says: “Be still and know that I am God.” This verse is especially applicable to those of us in ministry. If we do not know God well, we will struggle with trusting God fully and submitting ourselves to Him.

We know that a biblical perspective on our finances is based in the awareness that God is the ultimate owner of everything and has entrusted resources to us to steward, or manage, for Him. Our job, then, is to be faithful stewards.

It’s easy to talk about faithfulness and to assume we are faithful just because we have the desire to be. But what does faithful stewardship look like in terms of our day-to-day lives?

Over the years, I have observed five habits consistently present in those who wisely handle finances. 

A number of years ago, we had a skunk problem at our house. Our home backs up to a field that (at that time) had a large population of the odoriferous creatures.

I once received a note in the mail from one of our teenagers. I had written her, complimenting her on an important part she had played in a school play. The note was special for several reasons.

Titus 2:13 says, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” This verse speaks of the need for Christians to be ready! Ready for the Lord to return! Ready to live an authentic Christian life while we watch and wait for the Lord to come! Ready to be the salt and light that the Lord has called us to be! READY, in all things that pertain to the Christian life.

We know that God calls us to “Grow in grace” (2 Peter 3:18). And every Christian who is walking with the Lord desires this kind of growth. But how do we know if we are indeed growing? What are the benchmarks of growth in grace? There are many throughout God’s Word, but here are three very specific ways we know God’s grace is growing in our lives.

As those on the outside edges of the Israelites were more subject to attack, so are those on the outside edge of their local church.

It was Saturday afternoon, and we had successfully positioned our trailer in the corner of the church parking lot on the south side of Minneapolis, Minnesota. After getting my family settled, I went to the pastor’s office to go over the details of the week of revival and have a time of prayer.

Do you need grace today? Do you desire to grow in grace this year? I suppose these are questions with self-evident answers. We know we need God’s grace, and we know Scripture commands us to grow in grace.

Over the years, I’ve made it a practice to read regularly and on a variety of subjects. Reading not only gives information, but it gives inspiration too. A well-written book can challenge you to think, inspire you to use your life for God, and (particularly with books on history or biographies) give you gratitude for how God has used others.

The book of Exodus ends with the successful completion of Israel’s great wilderness project: the construction of the Tabernacle. And they had done it all just right.

I love the New Year for the fresh start it gives us on setting goals and making life adjustments. But in all our preparing and planning, it’s good to remember that our lives belong to God, and we are simply stewards—managers—of what He has entrusted to us.

At the start of a new year, we make goals, resolutions, or commitments. And we sincerely want to transform them into reality over the coming months.

God has put the theme of reaching forth in my heart for 2017. He has many blessings in store for us in the new year!

The final days of the year are some of my favorite—they always have been. There are many reasons that this is the case, including Christmas and extra time with family. But, more recently, this time of the year has become one of my favorites because I have found it to be a time of reflection and preparation for the new year.

“I love to tell the story of Jesus and His love,” declared the songwriter, Katherine Hankey.

The Christmas season is always a time of challenge and wonder in the area of preaching. One of my favorite texts comes from Luke chapter two where Joseph and Mary take Jesus to the temple.

You’ve heard it (and maybe shared it): “Keep Christ in Christmas.” It’s a great thought…but do you do it?