The House You're Building

  Straining Toward the Goal [12] Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. [13] Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [15] Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. [16] Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:12–16 ESV) As I reflect on the year, as many of us are prone to do at the changing of the calendar, I was thinking of what 2024 was about for me—the new things that entered in and the things it was time to let go of.  One of my favorite new things was hiking.  Though I’ve always hiked, a group of adventurous ladies who I’ve been doing life with for many years, focused on do...

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...

The past few years have taught me the stark reality of the seasons of faith.  God is so good to us; he constantly gives us pictures of what the inner life is like by the things around us that He has created.  Dear reader, I don't know where you are in your journey currently, but here are some of the seasons I have been through: Summers-a season of vibrancy, strength, and light.  Where all is well with my soul because faith seems easy.  Worship, praise, gratitude bubble up from within me and I can't hold them back.  It feels like God's pretense comes easy and it will never change.  I'm filled up by every spiritual discipline and my cup overflows. Fall-decay, slowing down, and strain seem to mark this season.  It hums between bright skies and clouds.  There is an undercurrent that I need to pay attention to something or hold on while it lasts and that a stark season is on the horizon.  Yet there are times of cozying up to God, wrapping him ...