The Object of Shame
Shame. The ultimate mark of shame in royal families is being removed from “the table” – from the position of honor and relationship… to the place of loss and separation. No longer can the rebel or the guilty taste the delectable dishes and enjoy the camaraderie and conversation. They are disinherited – cut off from the family.
From the moment Adam and Eve scurried around the Garden of Eden to cover themselves up with leaves and hide in the bushes, all men and woman have hung their shoulders in shame. . . .
Pointing Fingers
We don’t like having a finger pointed at us because it implies we’re guilty! However, we are pretty natural at pointing toward someone else. It seems quite easy to see the sins of others; doesn’t it? We think we’re quite accurate at evaluating the faults and failures we presume to observe in friends, family members, neighbors, and the like. . . .
Mission Mosaic
God the Son, Jesus Christ, died the death we deserved to free us from sin and give us new, eternal life in Him. Yet this shocking, heart-saving, soul-healing love is not only a message for people like you and me, but also for men and women from every corner across the tapestry of God’s world. . . .
Grace in April Snow
God is completely in control. He never loses His grip on the steering wheel. He never drops His conductor’s baton. Those who look for the mark of His craftsmanship will find His handiwork everywhere.
Baptism: Your Gospel “Show and Tell”
The men, women, and children I regularly speak with usually approach the who, what, why, when, and how of baptism with a note of seriousness, recognizing it’s no trivial matter. But many, many people have heard such a variety of opinions about baptism that they are left rather confused about the biblical meaning and pattern for this important ordinance Christ’s established for His followers.
Are you unsure about the meaning or practice of baptism? Have you not yet taken the step to be baptized as a follower of Jesus? Were you baptized as an infant, yet now wonder if you should be baptized as a believer?
Taking Your Vitamins?
When we’re jogging along in a healthy trajectory of spiritual growth, we can find ourselves gaining an inordinate confidence in ourselves. We gaze back at our past accomplishments with a token note of thanks to God, yet also an encroaching desire for a good ole’ pat-on-the-back. We might ease up on the throttle, subtly believing we’ve crossed a threshold in obvious maturity. . . .