As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Fifty years ago this month, President Gerald Ford began the process of righting a historic wrong, signing an executive order that declared the internment of American citizens of Japanese descent to have been morally and constitutionally wrong” - Dan Darling
“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
“The season of Advent helps us remember that not only has the Messiah come but he will come again. In his last recorded words, Jesus said, ‘Surely I am coming soon’ (Rev. 22:20). We don’t know the day or the hour, but we need to be prepared. So how should we prepare ourselves for Christ’s return?” - TGC
In the first book of Psalms (Pss 1–41), have you ever noticed the change in tone within the laments and songs of confidence, between the two halves of the book? In this article, I’d like to propose that there is a metanarrative lesson being taught in Book I which remains pertinent today for leaders of families and churches. Namely, that God may discipline those who love their own more than they love God; further, that he may refrain from withdrawing His heavy hand of discipline until the sin is recognized and confessed.
“Nathan didn’t say to David, ‘Repeat this prayer after me.’ No, he left it to David’s conviction to get before the Lord and say, ‘O, have mercy upon me, O God, according to your lovingkindness.’” - C.Leaders
“Peter and Judas. While their lives ran parallel for much of the time we see them with Christ, their responses to sinful failure were vastly different. They both betrayed Christ, but what we see in their responses reveals a core difference between these men.” - P&D
“This dear saint expressed concern about the struggle to feel forgiven through a handful of thoughtful questions. How long should we feel bad about our sin after we’ve repented? If we don’t feel bad, is that a sign that we aren’t forgiven? How can I feel rightly about past sins without turning that feeling into the basis for my forgiveness?” - Cripplegate
An article at Proclaim & Defend last week raised the question “Do We Still Believe in Backsliding?” For me, the answer is, “Yes, but not in the way you mean.”
In general, we should describe the Christian life using biblical language in a biblical way. When we do that, we avoid a lot of misunderstanding or misemphasis. So, considering the topic of backsliding, we should start with three questions:
“Mark Ward and Tim Miller from Shepherd’s Theological Seminary explore repentance in depth as an expansion of Miller’s article, ‘Is Repentance a Change of Mind or Something Different?’” - Word by Word
“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
Discussion