The House You're Building

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 My grace is all you need, my power works best in weakness.   So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.   That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ.   For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (NLT) What a week.   What a blindside.   How much do we go walking through our Christian, worship, fellowship, praying, Bible-reading lives and forget to listen to God.   To pay attention to the basic things in our curious search for “higher-truth.”   I put that in quotes because I ate humble pie this week.   With a whipped cream topping of, “you missed the whole point.” I know my gift, teaching and what I am called to do, yet I did it without love. Ironic (no) that this week I was teaching the love chapter in the Bible-1 Corinthians 13.   The one you always hear at weddings. ...

Prepare Your Heart: Read Psalm   140:12-13 Justice is a big interest of our society.   Just look at all the versions of Law & Order there are out there!   Seems like every new show is about law or police work, where people get “what they deserve.” But when it is applied to ourselves we desire mercy, to not be held accountable for our sin.   It’s hypocrisy to demand retribution for things against us, but desire a free pass in light of our own actions.   Yet that is the sin nature-constantly striving to secure undeserved favor for us through our selfishness.   And that is God’s grace-undeserved favor through love! Read the following passages from Proverbs about justice and take notes on what you learn.   Then take stock of your own life, delve honestly and see if you’ve received mercy from God but withheld justice from anyone else.   Read these instructions by Jesus to reflect in a deeper level: Matthew 18:23-35. False Witnes...