“In our ‘addicted to busyness’ society, it’s difficult to just ‘be’ in His presence if we don’t make it a habit.”
Bear One Another’s Burdens
“Just like it is poisonous to try to be an athlete on my own strength, so is it also poisonous to try to be a Christian on my own strength. Without my team, and without the Church, I am nothing.”
One Thing You Can Always Expect When Stepping Out
“While we want to step out and follow God by faith, we often pull back at the first sign of resistance, claiming the need to experience an “open door” before moving forward.”
Do you sometimes wish life and work was easier?
“If you’re part of a group that has any plans at all to change anything, there’s a very good chance you’ve experienced some good old ‘push back.'”
Learning to Fight Against Our Flesh
“Simply having the ability to consciously fight against the temptation of our flesh is a wondrous declaration that God has called us to a new life in Christ.”
The Spiritual Value of Doing Nothing
“It is only when we cease from our striving and rest in the unconditional love of Christ that our soul begins to be nourished and restored. It is only then that we can experience a worth that attaches to our being and not simply our doing.”
To “Live and Die Serving and Honoring the Lord Jesus”: Missionary John G. Paton
“Less than twenty-five years earlier, natives clubbed to death the first two missionaries to visit the island…No one dared return to the islands, until Paton did.”
Expecting Suffering, Declaring Joy
“In the past, church-goers tended to feel excluded from congregational worship if their hearts did not match the upbeat and joyous tones of their church service; now, church-goers may feel out of place and inauthentic if they do not share in the grief or the burdens of the rest of the church body.”
Let It Be So Now
“In my mind, the clashing goes something like this: ‘Why am I doing this? There are so many important things I could be, should be, doing now. But instead I am doing this, requiring none of my gifts or talents.'”
A Whole New Life and a New Whole Life
“Jesus is not just in the body-healing business. Nor is he just in the soul-healing business, though this is surely central to his work. Rather, Jesus seeks to make us whole in every dimension of life.”