The House You're Building

  Are you a gift giver?  If you’re at all familiar with Gary Chapman’s landmark book  The Five Love Languages , you’re aware of his theory that each person receives and gives love in different ways. Personally, receiving gifts is not the primary way I receive love.  Yet I love to give them when there is no expectation to supply a present.  When I’m online or in a shop and see something personal, funny, meaningful, I usually buy it and give it as a “just because” present.  Not for a birthday or Christmas, I like to surprise people with thing that reminded me of them.    Spiritual gifts work in a similar way.  They are at times intentional, but more often a spontaneous offering meant to bring joy to another.  They seem natural to us because they are indeed in our nature.  God gives every believer, though the anointing of the Holy Spirit, a unique role that is needed for Christian community to functio...

                                             When I was a kid optical illusion books were a fad one year.  It seemed like a novelty gift you received at a white elephant gift exchange or read while waiting for the dentist.  The trick was to blur your eyes, shift your focus to behind the page and an image, that at the surface looked like dots, would appear as a solid object in 3D.  It was really hard for me to see them.  I had had eye therapy as a kid and just to focus normally was challenging.  Unlike me, friends could pick up the book and see the hidden image instantly.  I know those books really did work, as once I saw it too and I was really excited but I lost focus and the image was gone.    The same can be said for suffering.  You can see the issue multiple ways and to behold it with a divi...

Why are you a Christian?     What would you say if someone asked you that?    Recently I heard a message where the teacher asked the congregation this same question.    Answers varied, but all responses fit within these 4 categories:   ·        Jesus changed my life; I used to to A, B, and C, but now I do X, Y, and Z ·        I was raised that way ·        I believe the holy scriptures ·        I had a person experience that convinced me     After outlining these common responses, and noting that our group’s answers fell into those those same catagories,  he explained that these same reasons can be applied to any religion.  What makes Christianity different than other religions  is the gospel. If you take the four statements above, for example change Jesus to Allah, you could really ma...

    Who wants to live a good life?  I think every hand in the room would go up.  If you asked the average American, the good life would have to do with a certain set of circumstances: happy marriage, sprawling home, new cars, satisfying job, thriving children, tropical vacations, restaurant dining, and a padded 401k.  But God’s instruction for us on how to achieve the good life has nothing to do with our salary.   It has to do with controlling our words.    Our mouth can get us into trouble, it can even show we aren’t taking advantage of living a life of faith.    If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. - James 1:26   When I read the phrase  keeps his tongue from evil,  it makes me think of using words to create plans to harm or making false accusations.  Yet humanity has a track record of mislabeling thi...