God’s rest was not from a place of exhaustion or fatigue, but of completion and satisfaction. Therefore, the rest He invites us into is far deeper than sleeping in and heading to the beach (though those are beautiful gifts).

Spiritual growth is to be built into the inter-generational fabric of the local church. We need to be vigilant to not substitute the comfort of private digital instruction for the beautiful mess of meaningful relationships where both encouragement and admonition occur.

Our God is a patient God and therefore our patience toward others isn’t based on them being worthy of our patience toward them, but on God’s patient heart to wretched sinners.

In our pride, thinking we can figure it out, be enough, and soldier on, we actually end up isolating ourselves from the love of others, and act like the Holy Spirit is unnecessary in our lives. So, fight those normal (human) feelings that tell you to “be strong”, and in your real weakness (neediness) ask for help!

We are ready to speak the plain truth of the Word of God, AND we do it with gentleness and respect. Judgment resides in the heart, so if you find yourself sounding too judge-y, perhaps you need to remind yourself of the very thing the apostle Paul reminded the Corinthian church, “And such were some of you.” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

You feel guilty for not doing it all well enough? You’ve just simply let some of those go thinking there are just too many things required of me? Listen, only one thing truly matters. That one thing is prizing Jesus above all else and loving Him as your highest delight!

Man sows and sleeps … God does it all. The Word does it all! What ought this produce in us other than the absolute confidence that the more we give ourselves to the Word in our own lives, the more God will use it to accomplish His purposes in and through us.

May our knowing better lead to following better and loving better. Let’s help each other fight against being gullible to the ploys of the enemy to take our eyes off Jesus!

No one escapes death, nor judgment, but for those who have walked the way of Yahweh, life can be full of purpose, joy, and the realistic hope of what is to come. So friends, don’t forget to enjoy the fleeting days of life that God has given you, before you know it they will be gone!

If I believe this, like Paton obviously did, then my life has but one purpose – To know Christ and make Him known through all I do. If my dying is gain (however it comes), this then shapes my living as a disciple. As it turns out, thinking about death is a helpful exercise in living my life well to the glory of God. Maybe we ought to do it a little more.

If circumstances feel uncertain or people act in ways that anger you, that sense of fear rises up in all of us. Sacred people do things to gain control. Fear can make you fight, isolate, or even just talk too much (like Peter when faced with the Transfiguration experience, Mark 9:6). The first item in seeking a piece of peace is to know the tendencies of your own heart.

Asceticism. That’s the word for the day. It means “The practice of strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline”. 

If you care about growing in wisdom and discernment, insight and understanding, you’ll want to read the Proverbs … regularly. Solomon is better than Bobby Flay, Martha Stewart, and Chip and Joanna Gaines.

As citizens of heaven, we were built to long for something we haven’t yet experienced. And every time we feel disappointed as what this life has given or withheld, we instinctively long for what is absent in our present. That is a good thing!

Biblical counseling is not telling people what to do. Biblical counseling is not tossing verses at someone like grenades. Nor is Biblical counseling passively affirming behavior or ignoring needed Biblical content to be brought to bear. At its core Biblical counseling is holding high the beauty of Christ’s character and what He has done at the cross.

But God … He has reshaped my heart by His Word and the precious promises that instruct His children to embrace trials, knowing we have a God who “does all things well” (Mark 7:37). These four texts have done the majority of the heart-shaping in me: 

There are Bible words that we commonly use, and yet the depth of their meaning may not always be uppermost in our thinking when we use them. We may even sing them with exuberance and passion, but not fully grasp the richness of truth. Let’s tackle one of my favorites this week – “faithfulness”. 

Celebrations are Biblical. From the Old Testament people of God commemorating significant historical events of deliverance to the Christian Calendar developed

God is at work in every square inch of the world He created. The world created by God, is under the authority of God, and nothing escapes the sovereign rule of God. There is no ruthless tornado nor rogue dictator that isn’t under the providential reign of the King of Creation.

Psalm 107:1-2 tells God’s people to give words of testimony to the faithfulness of God. “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.”