Five Ways to Beat Bitterness: #4 - Act

Aaron Blumer

Read the series so far.

Elijah sits under the juniper and bemoans the failure, unfairness, and pointlessness of his years of work (1 Kings 19:10). Jonah sits under his gourd and broods over his unwanted success (and God’s unwelcome mercy!) in Nineveh (Jonah 4:1-11). Job sits among his “friends” and agonizes physically, emotionally, and spiritually (Job 2:8, 13).

Then there’s Peter. What was he doing between his denial of Jesus, with its resulting bitter regret (Matt. 26:75), and his decision to “go fishing”?

It probably involved a lot of sitting.

Discussion

Most Churchgoers Regularly Confess Sin

Filings

“More than 2 in 5 (44%) confess to God every day, while a quarter (26%) do so a few times a week. Fewer say they ask for forgiveness once a week (13%), a few times a month (8%) or once a month (4%).” - Lifeway

Discussion

Standing Firm When the World Shifts Under Your Feet

Filings

“The church has always lived in changing times, even if today’s changes might feel more aggressive and chaotic than before. But our hope has never rested in the stability of society. It rests in the stability of God” - Ligonier

Discussion

Biblical Love & What It Looks Like at Work

Filings

“Many of us love to work, but we must also learn to demonstrate biblical love through our work. This is the second article in a series on applying the fruit of the Spirit in the workplace” - IFWE

Discussion

To Invent Is Divine – A Discussion of Creativity and Property Rights

Filings

“[I]f we are made in God’s image, that means we are creative, too, and a part of our maturity in Christ is to more fully live into that mandate to be creators. And I don’t just mean what some call ‘creative’ professions, such as music, literature, and other arts. I mean woodworkers, homemakers, entrepreneurs, engineers, and plumbers.” - MinistryWatch

Discussion

On Abundance, Part 2: Definition

DOlinger

Read the series.

As we noted last time, a key word in the Bible for the generosity of God is the word abundance. It’s a fairly straightforward concept: an abundance is more than you need, a surplus. In the extreme, it’s an overflowing, even an effective lack of limitation—there’s always more, like bananas or mangoes or papayas in the tropics.

Discussion

Getting Behind the Mask of Traditionalism

David Minnick

With the Old Testament and historical background in place in previous articles, it’s time to examine Mark 7:1–13 in more detail. In other words, it’s time to start comparing our lives to Scripture. God is holy, and he deserves a holy people. Mark 7 makes it clear that in our quest to be holy, the trap of idolatry lies close at hand. Indeed, the Pharisees were the conservatives. They were also idolaters. Are you a conservative? Are you liable to the same rebuke?

Discussion

The Born-Again You Is Wonderfully New

Filings

“[B]efore God granted us new sight, we were blind, utterly unable to see God’s beauty (2 Corinthians 4:4). Like a blindfolded man in a furniture store, we walked around smacking our shins against majesty, tripping over splendors, repeatedly running face-first into glory in God’s word and his world, and yet we could not see…how all the beauties point to God.” - Desiring God

Discussion