Tuesday, October 27, 2009
And we want Uncle Sam to provide health care for everyone?
Watch CBS News Videos Online
This piece that ran on 60 Minutes recently makes my heart sink. I'm not opposed to people receiving quality health care. I'm just wondering if a government-run program is the best solution. I'm sure "Tony" and friends will be elated if the bill passes and they can bill for more than grandpa's two prosthetic arms.
The Spirit's fruit on display...
“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV)
These attributes are the evidence of God’s Spirit within a person. They are visible proof that God is in control of a believer’s life. When the fruit of the Spirit is displayed consistently in the life of one who claims Jesus as Lord, it brings glory to God.
In his recently released book, Forgotten God, Francis Chan writes about Joni Eareckson Tada, whom he counts as the most Spirit-filled person he knows.
“A 1967 diving accident left then-seventeen-year-old Joni a quadriplegic,” Chan begins. “Lying in a hospital bed, she was filled with an overwhelming desire to end her life. The thought of spending the rest of her years paralyzed from the neck down and relying on others to care for her basic needs was staggering. But Joni did not end her life that day. Instead, she chose to surrender it to God. Little did she know that the Spirit of God would transform her into one of the godliest women ever to grace this earth. God gave her a humility and love that enables her to look beyond her own pain and see others’ hurts. She is a person who consistently ‘in humility count[s] others more significant’ than herself (an embodiment of Philippians 2:3).” (©2009 Francis Chan, p. 39)
For three paragraphs Chan then details all of Joni’s amazing accomplishments and positive contributions to the world. He talks about the impact of her autobiography and radio program. He talks about her international ministry to special needs people and their families. He talks about the honors she has received and her 2005 appointment to the Disability Advisory Committee of the U.S. State Department.
Then Chan concludes his tribute to this remarkable woman with these words: “Yet it is not because of these accomplishments that I consider her the most Spirit-filled person I know. Actually, it has nothing to do with all she’s accomplished. It has to do with the fact that you can’t spend ten minutes with Joni before she breaks out in song, quotes Scripture, or shares a touching and timely word of encouragement. I have never seen the fruit of the Spirit more obviously displayed in a person’s life as when I am with Joni. I can’t have a conversation with Joni without shedding tears. It’s because Joni is a person whose life, at every level, gives evidence of the Spirit’s work in and through her.” (©2009 Francis Chan, p. 41)
If you know anything about Joni, you have to agree with Chan concerning this woman. Joni Eareckson Tada, a weak woman to be sure, brings glory to God by trusting him completely. Her faith in God and her loving service to others through the strength he provides causes people to praise her Father in Heaven. God is seen most clearly in her life because the Spirit’s fruit is on display.
Ask God to show himself to the world through you. Pray that he would display the Spirit’s fruit in your life so that your life would bring praise to him.
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
These attributes are the evidence of God’s Spirit within a person. They are visible proof that God is in control of a believer’s life. When the fruit of the Spirit is displayed consistently in the life of one who claims Jesus as Lord, it brings glory to God.
In his recently released book, Forgotten God, Francis Chan writes about Joni Eareckson Tada, whom he counts as the most Spirit-filled person he knows.“A 1967 diving accident left then-seventeen-year-old Joni a quadriplegic,” Chan begins. “Lying in a hospital bed, she was filled with an overwhelming desire to end her life. The thought of spending the rest of her years paralyzed from the neck down and relying on others to care for her basic needs was staggering. But Joni did not end her life that day. Instead, she chose to surrender it to God. Little did she know that the Spirit of God would transform her into one of the godliest women ever to grace this earth. God gave her a humility and love that enables her to look beyond her own pain and see others’ hurts. She is a person who consistently ‘in humility count[s] others more significant’ than herself (an embodiment of Philippians 2:3).” (©2009 Francis Chan, p. 39)
For three paragraphs Chan then details all of Joni’s amazing accomplishments and positive contributions to the world. He talks about the impact of her autobiography and radio program. He talks about her international ministry to special needs people and their families. He talks about the honors she has received and her 2005 appointment to the Disability Advisory Committee of the U.S. State Department.
Then Chan concludes his tribute to this remarkable woman with these words: “Yet it is not because of these accomplishments that I consider her the most Spirit-filled person I know. Actually, it has nothing to do with all she’s accomplished. It has to do with the fact that you can’t spend ten minutes with Joni before she breaks out in song, quotes Scripture, or shares a touching and timely word of encouragement. I have never seen the fruit of the Spirit more obviously displayed in a person’s life as when I am with Joni. I can’t have a conversation with Joni without shedding tears. It’s because Joni is a person whose life, at every level, gives evidence of the Spirit’s work in and through her.” (©2009 Francis Chan, p. 41)
If you know anything about Joni, you have to agree with Chan concerning this woman. Joni Eareckson Tada, a weak woman to be sure, brings glory to God by trusting him completely. Her faith in God and her loving service to others through the strength he provides causes people to praise her Father in Heaven. God is seen most clearly in her life because the Spirit’s fruit is on display.
Ask God to show himself to the world through you. Pray that he would display the Spirit’s fruit in your life so that your life would bring praise to him.
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
Monday, October 26, 2009
For God's glory...
Dr. Patton, the neuropsychologist who has put me through hours of psychological testing over the past two weeks, looked across the table at me this past Tuesday afternoon and said, “You have ADHD. I knew it before,” he added, “but now we have it on paper.”
What made his diagnosis so suddenly sure? It was the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test I’d just completed. I won’t take up a bunch of time describing the test. You can Google it easily enough if you’re curious. All you need to know is that it measures frontal lobe function and I failed it miserably.
The significance? Attention Deficit Disorder – whether it’s mainly inattentive or impulsive hyperactive or a combination of the two – is a neurological disorder caused, it is believed, by a dysfunction of a portion of the frontal lobe of the brain. The frontal lobe is the part of the brain that controls learned behaviors, memory retention, moral choices and the like. In ADD or ADHD, a control center malfunction causes chaos.
Dr. Patton explained it this way to me during my first visit to his office. If the brain with all its many functions were the multiple officers on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise on Star Trek, in those with attention deficit, everyone is working diligently, but the captain is asleep. There’s “no one” to organize the many inputs and outputs taking place in the brain and so disorder rules.
The person affected by this disorder has trouble concentrating on tasks, especially things they find tedious, for extended periods of time. They tend to forget things more easily because they are unable to pay close attention to what they are being told. They hyperfocus on things they find interesting, talking about them constantly, changing the subject to their pet topic in conversations, pursuing their hobbies with great passion. They blurt out things that those with a properly functioning command center would likely suppress.
They, it turns out, is me. I have ADHD. (That still sounds weird when I say it.) I have a frontal lobe that doesn’t function quite right. I struggle with inattentiveness. I battle impulsiveness. I hyperfocus on my interests. I hyperact and hyperspeak.
So why am I telling you all this? I’m telling you about my weakness so that God can receive glory and you can be encouraged in your walk with him. You may be asking: How does God get any glory from a brain malfunction? That’s a fair enough question. I think I have an answer. And, the related question begs to be asked, how can anyone get any faith encouragement from this diagnosis? Another good question. I’ll do my best to give a satisfying answer.
How can any person bring God glory? Jesus says something about this as does Paul. Let’s listen to Jesus’ words first and then to those of his servant, remembering that both are important to hear. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)
Speaking to his disciples, our Master said this: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)
The word translated “praise” in verse 16 in the New International Version is translated “glorify” in the New American Standard Bible and the King James Version. The word carries with it the idea of bringing honor to another. It has to do with esteeming another, worshipping, praising. So the first way a person can bring glory to God, according to Jesus, is by doing good deeds. When others see the goodness and kindness of God’s followers, they praise God. Some believe on him for salvation because of a friend’s loving action. I’m glad to be part of a congregation of saints whose actions usually point people to Jesus.
Now for Paul’s words on glorifying God. At the beginning of 2 Corinthians 12 chapter Paul talks obliquely about this man who had a vision of Heaven. This man was caught up to Paradise. There he heard inexpressible things, things he was not allowed to tell. This man Paul tells about, it’s likely, is he himself. He doesn’t come out and say it plainly, but there are enough hints that point in that direction.
Look at what the apostle writes after this: “I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’
“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:5-10, NIV)
What do these words imply about bringing glory to God? They suggest that when God uses someone despite their weakness or weaknesses, God’s power is made most evident. Those with physical ailments or handicaps of any kind who put their trust in God and allow him to work in and through them, draw attention to God. God is seen in their courage to face each day with its struggles. God is praised because he gives peace in the midst of difficult circumstances. God is honored when the weakest among his people trusts him, depends on him, clings desperately to him even when all is not miraculously made right in their lives.
Tuesday after I left Dr. Patton’s office, I drove around town running a few errands. While I drove and walked through stores, I thought. I thought and I prayed trying to wrap my mind around this strange disorder that had often throughout my lifetime caused me to be at odds with others. My speaking without thinking and acting on impulse had started more than enough conflicts with others and my inattentiveness to my friends had caused occasional, temporary rifts.
As I prayed and thought and thought and prayed I came to this conclusion: God made me this way for a purpose: to display his glory. If I, a person with ADHD, could live a life that showed self-control it would bring praise to God the Father. Such an attribute in the life of someone supposedly incapable of showing restraint would be convincing evidence of the Spirit’s power at work. I decided somewhere along the way to and fro in north Wichita to show the world what a faithful follower of Jesus with ADHD looks like – not for my glory, but for the Father’s honor.
You can do the same in your life. No matter what your weakness. Weak people of every stripe can bring God glory by letting the world see his strength through them. Those who have been abused can bring God glory as they allow his joy to overcome their grief and anger. Those who are disabled or who care for the disabled can bring God glory as they display the Spirit’s gentleness and patience. Those who are diseased can bring God glory as they trust God and he gives his peace that passes all understanding. Those who are poor or bereaved or who were addicted or doubting can bring God glory through the love and kindness and goodness and faithfulness the Spirit creates in them and shows to the world. Those with ADHD or any other psychological or neurological or emotional disorder can bring glory to God by trusting him and seeking his self-control in their lives.
With God’s help, I’m going to live for God’s glory. Will you do the same? Whatever your weakness, God’s power can be displayed in you if you will trust him.
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
What made his diagnosis so suddenly sure? It was the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test I’d just completed. I won’t take up a bunch of time describing the test. You can Google it easily enough if you’re curious. All you need to know is that it measures frontal lobe function and I failed it miserably.
The significance? Attention Deficit Disorder – whether it’s mainly inattentive or impulsive hyperactive or a combination of the two – is a neurological disorder caused, it is believed, by a dysfunction of a portion of the frontal lobe of the brain. The frontal lobe is the part of the brain that controls learned behaviors, memory retention, moral choices and the like. In ADD or ADHD, a control center malfunction causes chaos.
Dr. Patton explained it this way to me during my first visit to his office. If the brain with all its many functions were the multiple officers on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise on Star Trek, in those with attention deficit, everyone is working diligently, but the captain is asleep. There’s “no one” to organize the many inputs and outputs taking place in the brain and so disorder rules.
The person affected by this disorder has trouble concentrating on tasks, especially things they find tedious, for extended periods of time. They tend to forget things more easily because they are unable to pay close attention to what they are being told. They hyperfocus on things they find interesting, talking about them constantly, changing the subject to their pet topic in conversations, pursuing their hobbies with great passion. They blurt out things that those with a properly functioning command center would likely suppress.
They, it turns out, is me. I have ADHD. (That still sounds weird when I say it.) I have a frontal lobe that doesn’t function quite right. I struggle with inattentiveness. I battle impulsiveness. I hyperfocus on my interests. I hyperact and hyperspeak.
So why am I telling you all this? I’m telling you about my weakness so that God can receive glory and you can be encouraged in your walk with him. You may be asking: How does God get any glory from a brain malfunction? That’s a fair enough question. I think I have an answer. And, the related question begs to be asked, how can anyone get any faith encouragement from this diagnosis? Another good question. I’ll do my best to give a satisfying answer.
How can any person bring God glory? Jesus says something about this as does Paul. Let’s listen to Jesus’ words first and then to those of his servant, remembering that both are important to hear. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)
Speaking to his disciples, our Master said this: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)
The word translated “praise” in verse 16 in the New International Version is translated “glorify” in the New American Standard Bible and the King James Version. The word carries with it the idea of bringing honor to another. It has to do with esteeming another, worshipping, praising. So the first way a person can bring glory to God, according to Jesus, is by doing good deeds. When others see the goodness and kindness of God’s followers, they praise God. Some believe on him for salvation because of a friend’s loving action. I’m glad to be part of a congregation of saints whose actions usually point people to Jesus.
Now for Paul’s words on glorifying God. At the beginning of 2 Corinthians 12 chapter Paul talks obliquely about this man who had a vision of Heaven. This man was caught up to Paradise. There he heard inexpressible things, things he was not allowed to tell. This man Paul tells about, it’s likely, is he himself. He doesn’t come out and say it plainly, but there are enough hints that point in that direction.
Look at what the apostle writes after this: “I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’
“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:5-10, NIV)
What do these words imply about bringing glory to God? They suggest that when God uses someone despite their weakness or weaknesses, God’s power is made most evident. Those with physical ailments or handicaps of any kind who put their trust in God and allow him to work in and through them, draw attention to God. God is seen in their courage to face each day with its struggles. God is praised because he gives peace in the midst of difficult circumstances. God is honored when the weakest among his people trusts him, depends on him, clings desperately to him even when all is not miraculously made right in their lives.
Tuesday after I left Dr. Patton’s office, I drove around town running a few errands. While I drove and walked through stores, I thought. I thought and I prayed trying to wrap my mind around this strange disorder that had often throughout my lifetime caused me to be at odds with others. My speaking without thinking and acting on impulse had started more than enough conflicts with others and my inattentiveness to my friends had caused occasional, temporary rifts.
As I prayed and thought and thought and prayed I came to this conclusion: God made me this way for a purpose: to display his glory. If I, a person with ADHD, could live a life that showed self-control it would bring praise to God the Father. Such an attribute in the life of someone supposedly incapable of showing restraint would be convincing evidence of the Spirit’s power at work. I decided somewhere along the way to and fro in north Wichita to show the world what a faithful follower of Jesus with ADHD looks like – not for my glory, but for the Father’s honor.
You can do the same in your life. No matter what your weakness. Weak people of every stripe can bring God glory by letting the world see his strength through them. Those who have been abused can bring God glory as they allow his joy to overcome their grief and anger. Those who are disabled or who care for the disabled can bring God glory as they display the Spirit’s gentleness and patience. Those who are diseased can bring God glory as they trust God and he gives his peace that passes all understanding. Those who are poor or bereaved or who were addicted or doubting can bring God glory through the love and kindness and goodness and faithfulness the Spirit creates in them and shows to the world. Those with ADHD or any other psychological or neurological or emotional disorder can bring glory to God by trusting him and seeking his self-control in their lives.
With God’s help, I’m going to live for God’s glory. Will you do the same? Whatever your weakness, God’s power can be displayed in you if you will trust him.
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The church of Facebook...
A revolution is taking place, one profile at a time. Online social networks like Facebook and MySpace are connecting people like never before. With hundreds of millions of users, they’re creating almost limitless potential to redefine our personal worlds. It’s a movement that’s changing how we form relationships, perceive others, and shape our identity.In his new book, The Church of Facebook (David C Cook, October 2009) author Jesse Rice takes a deeper look at the movement which, at its core, reflects our need for community. “Our longing for intimacy, connection, and a place to belong has never been a secret, but social networking offers us a new perspective on the way we engage our community,” Rice states. This new perspective raises new questions: How do these networks impact our relationships? In what ways are they shaping the way we think of ourselves? And how might this phenomenon subtly reflect a God who longs to connect with each one of us?The Church of Facebook explores these ideas and much more, offering a revealing look at the wildly popular world of online social networking. “The new landscape of social networking tells us two basic things: One, we have a deep desire to be known. And, two, we are faced with a technology that both enables and hinders the intimacy we’re looking for,” Rice says. From personal profiles to status updates, author Jesse Rice takes a thoroughly entertaining and insightful look into what Facebook reveals about us, and what it may mean for the future of “community.”
Social networking is no fad; it has become a fact of life, especially for teens and twenty-somethings. The Church of Facebook is essential reading for parents and pastors who want to understand this trend and its impact on their children and congregations. Rice’s discussions will engage social networkers of all ages and stages who are wrestling with the very real issues of identity, meaning, purpose, and friendship within the context of virtual communities.
Driven by Rice’s thought-provoking questions, observations, humor, and heartfelt storytelling, The Church of Facebook challenges readers to consider new perspectives regarding their social networking habits and how those habits may point to deeper heart issues and, ultimately, our hunger for Jesus.
From Oregon Faith Report
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Only 20 miles for me...
There are over 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants in the US, or about 1 for every 23,000 Americans. But even market penetration this advanced doesn’t mean that McDonald’s is everywhere. Somewhere in South Dakota is the McFarthest Spot, the place in the US geographically most removed from the nearest McD’s (*). If you started out from this location, a few miles north of State Highway 20 (which runs latitudinally between Highways 73 in the west and 65 in the east), you’d have to drive 145 miles to get your Big Mac (if you could fly, however, it’d be only 107 miles).This map is the brainchild of Stephen Von Worley, who got to thinking about the strip malls sprawling out along I-5 in California’s ever less rural Central Valley: “Just how far can you get from generic convenience? And how would you figure that out?”
His yardstick for that thought experiment would be the ubiquitous Golden Arches of McDonald’s – still the world’s largest hamburger chain, and to cite Von Worley, the “inaugural megacorporate colonizer of small towns nationwide.” That’s not the whole story: like other convenience providers aimed at the motorised consumer such as gas stations and motels, McDonald’ses have a notable tendency to occur on highways and, specifically, to cluster at their crossroads.
This map moreover demonstrates that the spread of McD’s closely mirrors the population density of the Lower 48, the most notable overall feature of which is the sudden transition, along the Mississippi, of a relatively densely populated eastern half to a markedly less populated western half of the country. Some notable ‘dark spots’ in McDensity east of the Mississippi are the interior of Maine, the Adirondack region of New York state, a large part of West Virginia, and the Everglades area of southern Florida.
Out west, the Arches are fewer and further between, with the exception of the heavily populated coastal areas. To achieve identical density to the rest of the country, this sparsely burgered part of the country would have to be sandwiched between them so that southern California and western Texas would almost touch, and Seattle would be a day’s drive from Minneapolis. The blackest holes in the western McTapestry are the Nevada desert, some mountainous parts of Oregon and Idaho, and the plains of South Dakota – home to the aforementioned McFarthest Spot.
This map found here onthe Weather Sealed blog.
In your teaching...
Titus 2:7-8, “In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” (NIV)
This verse is not just for those who teach formally – pastors, Sunday School teachers and the like. It’s for every believer.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 gives the task of teaching to everyone.
“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (NIV)
All of us teach. Our words to the young influence them. When our words and actions match, that influence is more than doubled.
Show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech when you teach others. That doesn’t mean you have to be sour-faced and dour when you’re talking about God’s Word. Seriousness does not mean joyless. God is full of joy. You do not reflect him when you never laugh, never joke, never smile at the ironic.
Showing integrity in what you teach means that you live what you say matters. Showing seriousness means that you don’t treat God or His Word casually. Showing soundness of speech means that all that you say points others to the truth – the truth about salvation, the truth about who God is, the truth about grace and judgment, the truth about creation, the truth.
Ken Davis came to Argonia a few years back. We all laughed our heads off as he talked about his granddaughter’s temper tantrum. We laughed harder when told of his own fit over a Looney Tunes jacket. We split a gut when he pulled the jacket out and put it on. Then we sat in silence as he talked about God’s great love for us and about Jesus’ provision for our salvation.
Showing integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech when we teach does not preclude laughter. It does require a deep love for God.
The greatest command: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Matthew 22:37, NIV)
That kind of love shows up when you encourage others to be self-controlled. That kind of love is seen as you do good. That kind of love is expressed in the seriousness you bring to your teaching.
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
This verse is not just for those who teach formally – pastors, Sunday School teachers and the like. It’s for every believer.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 gives the task of teaching to everyone.
“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (NIV)
All of us teach. Our words to the young influence them. When our words and actions match, that influence is more than doubled.
Show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech when you teach others. That doesn’t mean you have to be sour-faced and dour when you’re talking about God’s Word. Seriousness does not mean joyless. God is full of joy. You do not reflect him when you never laugh, never joke, never smile at the ironic.
Showing integrity in what you teach means that you live what you say matters. Showing seriousness means that you don’t treat God or His Word casually. Showing soundness of speech means that all that you say points others to the truth – the truth about salvation, the truth about who God is, the truth about grace and judgment, the truth about creation, the truth.
Ken Davis came to Argonia a few years back. We all laughed our heads off as he talked about his granddaughter’s temper tantrum. We laughed harder when told of his own fit over a Looney Tunes jacket. We split a gut when he pulled the jacket out and put it on. Then we sat in silence as he talked about God’s great love for us and about Jesus’ provision for our salvation.
Showing integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech when we teach does not preclude laughter. It does require a deep love for God.
The greatest command: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Matthew 22:37, NIV)
That kind of love shows up when you encourage others to be self-controlled. That kind of love is seen as you do good. That kind of love is expressed in the seriousness you bring to your teaching.
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
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