THE BLOG
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Is Grace That Amazing?
The word “amazing” is an adjective that we use to describe something we think is astonishing, astounding, eye-opening, jaw-dropping, stunning, or stupefying. The problem in our day and age is the effect of the law of diminishing returns…nothing really amazes us. We have been so over-exposed by instant access to everything “spectacular” that we shrug off the truly amazing as ordinary and commonplace.
No Downside to Gratitude
It turns out that being thankful can have many positive health effects: more intimate and connected relationships, less depression, diminished likelihood of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, more motivation and engagement, better sleep, and overall mental well-being. So says Dr. Gail Saltz, psychoanalyst and assistant attending physician at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Medical Center and clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Keep Your Fork!
Keep your fork??? Stay tuned. The end of the story is the whole point of the story. It is fascinating how Hollywood is obsessed with sequels, but in God’s four-act story of the universe, there are no sequels and everything leads to the finale.
What a Question!
Are you willing to do for the truth what the cults do for a lie? Ever heard this question? Ever stopped to contemplate its implications for your life? If we truly have the only gospel truth that can rescue us from eternal danger (and we do) and Satan is committed to spreading his damning lies through false religion (and he does), then what does that mean about our witness? Are we willing to allow Satan’s evangelists to out-share us?
Fret Not
I read Psalm 37 on Wednesday as part of my daily reading this week. Though I have read this psalm many times before, something was different this time. It came to life in a fresh way, perhaps due to how much of the news seems to progressively reveal the endless ways depravity is leaking out into our world.
There’s Nothing Like the Resurrection
I re-read an excellent article written by pastor George Lawson entitled “50+ Results of Jesus’ Resurrection from the Dead” and thought it was a great follow-up to Easter weekend. How blessed we are to serve a risen Savior, live by resurrection power, and look forward to being with and like Christ in our new resurrected bodies!!! As a result of Jesus’ Resurrection….
How Is Resurrection Spelled?
P-O-W-E-R! Three of the most powerful words in Scripture are “He is risen,” and the apostle Paul was driven to “know Him and the power of His resurrection” (Phil. 3:10). Science has advanced in ways we never imagined, but science has never been able to overcome death. Only God has defeated death, and He displayed this powerful reality through the bodily resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ, and this power is given to all His children. What are some of the dimensions of resurrection power? Let me spell out five qualities of this P.O.W.E.R.
Staying Humble
Well, it happened again. For the second year in a row, our bookkeeper, Jennifer Minami, has ummmmm…uhhhhh…clearing my throat…WON the staff March Madness Basketball Tournament Picks. It was announced on our All-Staff TEAMS channel, and as I read all the congratulations piling up, I noticed they were only coming from the gals. Then Jen posted this: “Yep! That trophy looks good on my desk. Feel free to stop by my office and check it out 😎.” Ouch, that stung.
Best Diet Ever
What’s the best diet on the market? That depends on who you ask. You will likely get as many answers as the person you ask. Wikipedia provides what appears to be an endless list of diets which they define as “the sum of food and drink that one habitually consumes.” They list various categories of diets like belief-based diets, calorie and weight control diets, crash diets, detox diets, diets followed for medical reasons, fad diets, vegetarian diets, and other diets. Check it out: List of Diets It’s exhausting just to peruse the list. Jesus brought up the concept of diet when he quoted an Old Testament passage to ward off Satan’s first attack on Him after not eating for 40 days and 40 nights (Matt. 4:3–4; Luke 4:3–4). As a man, Jesus was physically hungry (Matt. 4:2), but instead of focusing on Satan’s temptation to miraculously give Himself some food from rocks, He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,’” to highlight God’s best and most nutritious diet of all.