First of all, I don’t!
But let’s just say:
(2) That I’m really not “willing to go to any lengths” to prevent that from happening.
If I Wanted to Leave Alcoholics Anonymous…. Read More »
1 John 2:4-6 NRSV
Whoever says, “I have come to know Him,” but does not obey His commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys His word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in Him: whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk just as He walked.
Do you ever get tired of being sacrificial? Of feeling like you’re the only one who gives in, who ministers, who forgives? I do. I have even wondered why God refuses to take up my cause and make things happens the way that I want them to happen. Which, of course, is the problem. Because the Lord Jesus never demanded that things happen in His own way.
Tired of Being Sacrificial? Read More »
This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true. 1 John 1:5-6 NRSV
Honesty and lies. These aren’t topics much talked about these days. In fact, it may be that the American culture is on its way to being completely delusional, believing that lies are the truth simply because it’s what we believe.
Honesty, Lies and Self-Delusion Read More »
If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:7-9 NRSV
You Have a Choice to Walk in the Light Read More »
Many of us have been taught that hoping only brings about disappointment. Because of hopes dashed in the past. The promises we believed were broken. We were left feeling like fools for ever hoping in the first place. We stay in a constant state of fear of losing it all in an instant. Fear of hoping against hope. Fear of having your hopes crushed. Everything we live is a learning experience. There is no failure. There is only an attempt that didn’t turn out as expected. In living life this way, we can hope after experiencing a loss. Our focus and energy is simply redirected. With every risk we take, we are teaching ourselves. Giving ourselves the gift of learning how to try and how to fail so that we can try again with more wisdom. We are teaching myself about succeeding.
Some people are indecisive, their favorite color is plaid! You ask them if they have trouble making decisions, and their response is ? Well, yes and no.”
I think our outcomes in life reflect– to a significant degree — our self concept. To put it in a simpler way, life generally delivers what we confidently expect. And those expectations flow from our decisions.
So, in a way, your decisions define you. They show how you really view yourself, your self concept, at a subconscious level. Think about it, each decision provides a way for you to express who you are to the world.
The Decisions You Make are Important Read More »
At the commencement of Matthew 5 we find the Lord Jesus pronouncing blessed a certain class of people. They are not named as “believers” or saints,” but instead are described by their characters; and it is only by comparing ourselves and others with the description that the Lord Jesus there gave, that we are enabled to identify such. First, He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” To be “poor in spirit” is to have a feeling sense that in me, that is, in my flesh, “there dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:18). It is the realization that 1 am utterly destitute of anything and everything which could commend me favorably to God’s notice. It is to recognize that I am a spiritual bankrupt.
The Nature and Basis of Assurance Read More »
It had rested uncomfortably on me for some time. Whenever reading 1 Corinthians 12, 7-11, I’d feel left out. It touches on the special gifts given to each of us by the Holy Spirit.
A Sex Addict’s Gift Read More »
Research has confirmed that the following behvioral stages are accurate predictors of alcohol and drug relapse. If you are trying to obtain long-term sobriety and avoid having a relapse, know the following warning signs. If you see them in your own behavior, take action to prevent a relapse. Change in AttitudeFor some reason you decide
Stages Leading to Relapse Read More »
Do you consider yourself an optimist? Why (or why not)?
I’m doing a talk this week for an Optimist Club, so I’m thinking about optimism. I did a little research to find out what optimism is, where it originates, why some folks have it and some don’t.
Frankly, for much of my life I was a confirmed pessimist. I not only saw the glass as half-empty, but I was certain it was leaking and eventually would be completely dry.
I was the second person in this exchange.
Optimist:”This is the best of all possible worlds.”
Pessimist: “If that’s the case, then things can never get any better.”
The Half Empty Glass Is Leaking Read More »
