Christian Living

Financial margin: that pleasant and sometimes rare, financial distance between income and expenses. Some of us ask, “Where did it go?” and “How do I get it back?”

We know that Jesus is the reason for the season. But how much of our season actually is centered around celebrating Christ?

This is the season we hear the friendly words “Merry Christmas” all around us. It is a gracious greeting. It is a sentimental statement. Yet, while the phrase itself is very endearing to so many of us, the truth is that many people have no idea what it truly means to be merry.

Christmas might very well be the most wonderful time of the year…but it is also the busiest! I know for our ministry, the time between now and Christmas is packed with activity—extra Christmas outreach, special Christmas services, and unique opportunities for ministry. On top of all of that, we have our annual Vision Sunday just two weeks after Christmas.

I love Christmas! Growing up, I loved to wake up on Christmas morning to the smell of the gas heater and peek in the living room to see if “Santa” had come during the night. Sure enough, he had come and delivered bunches of presents wrapped in red Santa paper.

Have you ever met someone who is like way too joyful? You know, the person who literally always has a smile on their face? The person who is always upbeat and never has a bad day? Sometimes those people are too much to handle. However, that person is most likely full of joy, not just happiness.

Our grandson, Chandler, recently went to the doctor for a follow up appointment on his lungs. (He had severe necrotizing pneumonia and lung surgery last year.)

Americans must never forget the origins of our national Thanksgiving holiday. Its spiritual significance is no longer taught in our nation’s public schools. In fact, most school children today are taught that Thanksgiving originated when the Pilgrims invited their Native American friends to dinner to thank them for their help in troubled times after the Mayflower landed. As with much of modern American revisionist history, there really is much more to the story.

I recently did something I should do more often—turned notifications off on my phone, drove to an area with no cell reception, hiked to the bottom of a canyon, and sat for two and a half hours with a good book.

Ill-gotten gain always comes with the attached string of eventual guilt. That is why there are many who are increased with goods yet decreased in their ability to enjoy them.

One of the plaguing sins of American Christians is ingratitude. So many people spend their lives looking for that something—some other place, person, opportunity, recognition—that will be better. Their discontentment diverts their attention from what they already have.

What is a true test of love? Men like to give chocolate, flowers, and even a nice dinner to demonstrate love. I’m sure my wife would love all those things. However, when it comes to building blocks in the Christian life, we must have a love for the church. How exactly should we show love to the church?

Have you ever been to a nursery? Not the one with screaming children, but one with thousands of plants? We have a nursery right in front of our house and it is huge! I often wonder how much water and plant food they go through each week.

In the previous post, we looked at eight indicators of an unraveling culture. We don’t study the needs, however, to become discouraged by them, but to more effectively meet them. I would suggest eight ways New Testament churches should be responding to an unraveling culture.

I don’t think any serious, observant American Christian denies that our culture is on a fast downhill slide.

Someone once shared with me this thought: It is easy to say, “I love you,” but far more difficult to live a life that consistently reveals, “I love you.”

The question has often been asked, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” That question should make you think. You cannot earn your salvation by works. However, your works and lifestyle can indicate whether or not you have truly been saved. A person who has been born again will manifest that change in the way he lives.

Have you ever wondered how some Christians have remained faithful for many decades? Some of the most influential men in my life have been saved for well over twenty years. So how does someone stay the course for so many years?

What am I going to do about this situation? Where do I turn? Is there anyone who can help me? What is going to happen to me? Situations arise daily. We often don’t know what to do or where to turn.

In the summer of 2013, during a much needed getaway trip with my wife, God revealed the truth of this wonderful promise in Scripture to me in a new and fresh way. We were at a point of decision. God had began to work in my heart about becoming a pastor.