As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Jesus is saying, ‘You judge people according to the flesh. But I don’t do that!’ Jesus does not form an opinion about you according to the flesh. He does not base a judgment about you on your appearance, ability, age, friends, race, gender, work, home, family, or experience.” - Colin Smith
“If you are unable to participate in Halloween with a clear conscience, there are plenty of other things to celebrate this time of year, from Reformation Day to All Saints Day, to the beauty of fall’s changing colors, to, as always, the sovereignty of God and the victory of Christ over everything.” - Breakpoint
“Spiritual mourning is laden with blessing, and we are to go after it and get as much of it in our lives as we possibly can. The more you know of this mourning, the more joy you will experience in your life.” - Colin Smith
As this year began I started a series on spiritual growth, which I called “On Building Spiritual Muscle.” The series focused on the key spiritual exercises that the Bible prescribes for spiritual health, exercises that Christians have generally called “the means of grace”: Scripture, prayer, and fellowship. The next series, “On Devotions,” focused on the first two of those means of grace, and particularly on our private practice of them.
“Willful gullibility neglects our God-given responsibility to acquire the skills necessary to evaluate truth claims. This doesn’t mean we must be experts in every subject, but it does mean we practice strategic hesitation…” - TGC
“Thirdly, that we be prepared to receive his benefits with true gratitude of heart and thanksgiving, benefits that our prayer reminds us come from his hand” - DBTS Blog
Read the series.
Christians need to understand the differences in the production and consumption of intoxicating beverages in Bible times compared to modern times. This difference is a significant concern that needs to be addressed as we ponder Christians and social drinking.
“…it is equally important to remember that there are other kinds of promptings that we can experience besides the leadings of the Holy Spirit. Some can be good promptings, while others can be bad” - Tim Augustyn
Pastor Kevin Schaal wrote recently to address the question of whether recent events—and our times in general—signal Christ’s return to end human history. I agree with his conclusion on that question.
I want to respond to his introduction, though.
“If you’re a creative person, at some point, you’ll find a boss, investor, studio, or colleague who rejects your ideas. Sometimes, it will happen so often that you’ll start to question your own ability and wonder if you’re really creative at all.” - Phil Cooke
Discussion