love

The Main Thing

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1-3)

The last two weeks have been very heavy for many people. If you’ve been following the news at all, there’s no shortage of unsettling events occurring not only across the United States, but around the world.

I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to directly communicate with various people from various races and religions regarding both the pandemic and the George Floyd incident, and the thing that I’ve found interesting is that no two people have the exact same views. Since I tend to look at the world and its events through my own Christian lens, the thing that’s been even more intriguing is that the Christians I’ve spoken to often view them in completely different or even conflicting ways. And these are people who, as far as what I know of them, genuinely love Jesus and have a desire to put Him first in their lives.

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Power, Love, & Self-Control

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

As believers, we have a purpose in life, and that is to bring glory to God and carry the good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth. Once you accept that calling, you’ll realize soon enough that it’s not easy.

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A Child’s Prayer For Justice

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)

Today’s blog post won’t be my words, but my 12 year old daughter’s.

Before I tuck my kids into bed, we always take time praying together. Last night before she went to sleep I asked her, “Can you pray for the situation our country is in right now, and I’ll pray after you?”

I was so moved by her prayer that I jotted it down practically verbatim afterwards so I wouldn’t forget. Just as it gave me hope and encouragement in today’s climate of inequality, I pray it will do the same for you.

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Do Good. Please.

“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” (Isaiah 1:16-17)

This past Monday on May 25, 2020, a man named George Floyd was killed at the hands of police. The story has rocked the nation, as it was another instance of a black man [person] being treated inhumanely by a police officer. Whether or not it was racially motivated or just plain stupidity and lack of judgment, it’s these type of events that give the black community in our nation the sense that their lives don’t matter, when in fact, they do. This situation is all around heart-breaking and disgusting. The scene and storyline has become all too familiar over the past several years, as cellphones have given us the ability to record horrific demonstrations of sin occurring in real time. I have no doubt that this, as with all sin, grieves God’s heart, as it should likewise grieve the hearts of all those who claim to love and follow Jesus.

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