Have the mind of Christ in you…(Phil. 2:5). Have you ever noticed how much of the way God has made the world work seems counter-intuitive to all we have been taught? Do you want financial security? The world says hoard. God says give. Do you want to be great? The world says claw your way… Continue reading Humility and Joy

For it is God who is at work in you… (Phil. 2:13). Everybody needs a good spiritual workout. Even the Bible says that physical training is of some value, but training in the spiritual life is of value not only in this life, but also in the age to come, (I Tim. 4:6). Today’s text… Continue reading God at work

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…(Phil. 1:6). What does everyone have, that many are unaware of, yet influences everything we do? Lets call it a “worldview”. The German word is weltanschauung. It is defined as “a comprehensive conception or image of the universe and of humanity’s relation… Continue reading Tweaking your Weltanschauung

For me, to live is Christ, (Phil. 1:21). Consider this another part of my “How to increase your happiness” thoughts. I have started teaching through Paul’s letter to the Philippians at our church. This week I am going to focus on this little verse in chapter one that summarizes Paul’s philosophy of life. Another way… Continue reading The Blank and the Box

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God”…(Ps. 14:1). What would a world without faith in God look like? It could look a lot like the world of “The Giver”. The movie, based on the award-winning book by Lois Lowry, and championed for some fifteen years by Jeff Bridges (he originally optioned the… Continue reading Why you should see “The Giver”

I am making everything new, (Rev. 21:5). Did you know you live in an old order? That is what the Book of Revelation calls the present fallen world we live in. The old order is a place where suffering, evil, pain, mourning, and death surround us on a daily basis. The problems of the world,… Continue reading New Things in a New Order

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, (Rev. 20:10). If you believe in God, and have confidence in the inspiration of the Bible, you probably also believe in the Devil. In the same way that God loves you and Jesus has a wonderful plan for your life, the… Continue reading The Day the Dragon Dies

The LORD is my shepherd… (Psalm 23:1). It is the 23rd of July (in case you didn’t know). I have started a new cycle of reading the Psalms which means today I read the classic 23rd Psalm. As I read, I began to personalize the psalm and respond to God using it. I acknowledged that,… Continue reading Need a shepherd?

Happy are the poor in spirit…(Matthew 5:3). In my last rambling I introduced the question about whether Jesus wants us to be happy. Part of what triggered my thinking about this subject was a new book on the science of happiness called The How of Happiness. Unlike other self-help or positive attitude books, this one… Continue reading Jesus wants you happy, pt.2

Rejoice in the Lord always…I will say it again, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4). Do you think God wants you happy? I’ve been rethinking this question lately. Just this morning I was reading a quote where C.S. Lewis remarked, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do… Continue reading Jesus wants you happy