As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“I don’t know about you, but that’s what I want to celebrate this Christmas—a gift much greater than the latest department store gadgets and gizmos. In light of this, here are some ways that I’ve found to make the Advent season more meaningful.” - Stetzer
Read the series.
As we see in passages such as Hebrews 5:14, biblical discernment involves exercising the skill of seeing the differences between good vs. bad, right vs. wrong, true vs. false, and more important vs. less important.
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (ESV, Heb 5:14)
“In our day, we can relate to the experience of ‘ransom captive Israel,’ who mourned ‘in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.’ As Israel waited—in bondage to suffering, sin, pain, and injustice—so we wait now.” - TGC
“I have been shaped by a world largely without invasive technology and one with it. I can relate to both sides and appreciate the values/characteristics that each provides.” - Jack Lee
“Children and teenagers are most likely to thrive when parents and teachers are in alliance. But that alliance is breaking down. Sometimes, that’s because the parents deliberately undermine and oppose the teacher…Other times it’s because the child has a psychiatric diagnosis.” - IFS
“…the Pew study shows that the religious problem of suffering is not a major concern for most people today after all. Only 14% of American adults say that “sometimes I think the suffering in the world is an indication that there is no God.’” - Veith
“The Bible’s story is very different from this sort of self-referential, circumstance-based thinking. God is good all the time. And he’s great all the time. He’s bigger than anything.” - Olinger
One of the primary ways the church advances the kingdom of God is through corporate prayer. And when God’s people gather at the throne of grace, they shouldn’t limit their prayers to the elect. They should pray for all people. Why? Because there’s a wideness in God’s mercy. While his special grace secures the repentance of some, his common grace solicits the repentance of many.1 Thus, there’s a real sense in which our heavenly Father desires, provides for, and pursues the salvation of all people.
“A scholar of Christian spirituality argues that prayers are meant to bring together a faith community – something apps aren’t likely to achieve.” - RNS
“Giving thanks provides perspective. Gratitude humbles us. It crushes pride and sweeps away entitlement.” - TGC
Discussion