Why Do We Expect World Peace From Miss America, But Not Jesus?
World Peace is one of just two easy answers in life. It’s the correct response when a pageant contestant is asked what she would most want to see happen during her lifetime. This response is the mocked canned answer made famous in the movie Miss Congeniality. The...
The Freedom Gained Through Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a tricky word. That’s partly because most of us are always tempted to spell it with an unnecessary “e” between “for” and “giveness.” But it’s mostly because of the deep-rooted emotion attached to the concept of forgiveness. In fact, I suspect the...
Why Life Often Requires Goonie Like Faith
When I introduced my daughters to one of my favorite movies… The Goonies, I knew they’d love it. It’s a timeless classic that’s thrilling, humorous, and hearkens viewers of all ages to a time when it was easier to believe. Even today, as a much...
Our Messed Up World and That Time Jesus Came to an Anxious, Waiting World
Lost in the demands to “keep Christ in Christmas” and the requests to “remember the reason for the season” is a broader purpose: hope for a messed up world. You see, the Old Testament ends with a prophesy through Malachi. He was one of several prophets who tried...
Aligning with God’s Ways – Manton’s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119 – Part 3
God’s ways are called many things; mysterious, unpredictable, wise, just to name a few. One phrase often said in relation is “God’s ways are not always our ways.” So much of this is true. God’s ways are mysterious. And they are unpredictable (to use at least)....
God Hears Us – Manton’s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119 – Part 2
Despite what may sometimes seem otherwise, God hears his people. Prayer is an important and intimate communion with God in which we take our praises and petitions while seeking forgiveness. It’s a moment to gain clarity of God’s signal in our lives of constant...
Check Yourself – There’s Never a Wrong Time for it
It’s important to check yourself on occasion. It’s a way to know what’s going on in your head and in your heart. I say this knowing full well there is a sinister vibe that likes to flow through my own soul. It’s not something I am proud of. And, truth be...
The Profound Connection Between Food, Communion, and Wellness
The funny thing about wellness is the fact that we all can agree that it’s good, but few of us can define it. Fewer still can say they have it. And, if we are being brutally honest, even fewer are willing to relentlessly pursue it. Even as I type this, I’m...
Purposes of Self-Discipline and Impact it Produces
Self-Discipline is a missing proficiency in many lives. And that’s tragic. I’ve found that much of Jonathan Edwards resolutions – and life in general – can be boiled down to this single, hyphenated phrase. Self-Discipline. Surely Ewards revered it. He held...
Heartfelt Words Don’t Have Dictionary Definitions
We hear the phrase “Heartfelt Words” or similar expressions from time-to-time. Most of the time, we say it in context of expressing sympathy or to show genuine care. However, angry words or words and phrases that are rooted in bitterness, jealousy, envy, or other...