“Like a Weaned Child”: Trusting God When Life Hurts (Part 1)
Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? For example, what do we say when a Christian mother backs the car over the top of her little toddler crushing him to death? When a Christian man discovers he has brain cancer and must soon leave his three young children without a father? When a hurricane destroys the homes and disrupts the lives not only of unbelievers but also of believers? Perhaps you’ve asked that question while undergoing personal trial or tragedy.
Discussion
Healthy Distrust of Self
Body
“Paul was not self-focused; he didn’t spend his days beating himself up mentally for his failures and shortcomings. But he did have a healthy distrust of his own inclinations, and he saw to it that the circumstantial doors to those inclinations were kept closed.” - Olinger
Discussion
Be Comforted in Your Smallness
Body
“I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” - Desiring God
Discussion
Why I Don’t Expect Everyone in My Church to Agree with Everything I Say
Body
“When I review what I preached ten years ago, I find I would change a lot of what I said. When I think about how I led ten years ago, if I could, I would tell my twenty-six-year-old self to change approaches. How can I get angry about dissenting views now when I don’t even agree with myself in the past?” - Rainer
Discussion
Why so Serious? Learning to Laugh at Yourself
Body
“I put the mic down to adjust my notes and then started back up with the talk. After about 30 seconds, I looked down and … I was talking into a water bottle like it was a microphone. The audience burst out in laughter and all I could do was smile and join them.” - C.Leaders
Discussion
Our Hearts and Minds Turned Outward
Body
“…in just that way, social media can be used for such good and such ill. It can display human beings at their best and worst, their most gracious and most condescending, their most humble and most prideful.” - Challies
Discussion
Servant Leadership: A Biblical Theology, Pt. 2
What comes to your mind when you hear the term “servant leader?” In our first post on servant leadership, we noted that servant leaders are not docile doormats, but careful cultivators who steward their leadership gifts and opportunities to see others flourish. In today’s post, we will explore the commitment servant leaders have towards developing and equipping new leaders to carry out the work of ministry.
Discussion
Servant Leadership: A Biblical Theology, Pt. 1
Introduction
Servant leadership is something people frequently talk about but rarely understand or practice. Many Christians seem to equate servant leadership with passive or subservient leadership. They envision the servant leader as a gentle, accommodating person who works hard to meet everyone’s needs and keep everybody happy. True servant leaders, however, are not docile. They’re driven.
Discussion
Former Gov. Bill Haslam urges Christians to engage in the public square with a humbler tone
Body
“In his recently-released book, Faithful Presence: The Promise and the Peril of Faith in the Public Square, Haslam draws upon his years of experience to highlight the redemptive role of faith in politics while offering biblical insight into the hot-button issues of today.” - C.Post
Discussion