Throughout Scripture, divine activity, and human response are carefully balanced. The two are never opposed to one another but are always presented as working in conjunction with one another. A classic verse that demonstrates this reality is Philippians 2:12: “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you […]
Ephesians 5:1–2: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” One unavoidable pattern we see in life is children adopting the habits of their parents. I’ll never forget the day my preschool-aged son pointed
Ephesians 4:28, ESV, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” One of the great misconceptions about humanity is the belief that all people are basically good. Most people see that they have
Ephesians 4:26-27, ESV, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” – We live in troubled times. . In a culture that is experiencing division and outrage on issues regarding politics, race, gender, and socioeconomics, the exhortation of the Apostle
Ephesians 4:25: “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” I want you to see something today, and I pray that God gives you a heart to bear His word of truth. There is an essential element that is to
The Truth-Telling Family: Reflecting the Character of God Read More »
I have a system for putting my baby to sleep. First, I pace the house with him cuddled tightly in my arms. Once his eyes shut, I gently sit down and snuggle him on my chest. Once he stops sucking his soother (a great indicator that he’s finally given way to deep sleep), I gently
Ephesians 4:20-22, “But that is not the way you learned Christ! — assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires.” Think of someone who has
Ephesians 4:17-19, ESV, “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They
