For a Christian who is called to obey the authorities God has put us under, we are faced with a conflicting set of obligations. Obeying God will mean coming under the authority of laws justly created by the ruling government, except where obeying the government would mean directly disobeying God.

The Church is first and foremost a theological and missional institution, not a political or social one. What that means is that we work in the realm of truth and lies about God, His world, and His plan for humanity (theological). For us to be the salt and light that Jesus commanded us to be, we must know what the Word of God says about an issue so that we can “determine to do something about it” (missional), both individually and corporately as God’s Church!

… and I trust doing church How the Bible clearly lays out will in fact yield the fruit He promises. These days I want more Gospel opportunities than ever to see lost people find satisfaction in Christ the Redeemer … I also feel more driven than ever to the How of doing church along with the What of the Gospel.

You may not fancy yourself musical or artistic but creating beauty and enjoying beauty is part of the wonder to be enjoyed by all in the world He made. You don’t have to be brilliant or even share what you create with anyone … find ways in your days to creatively enjoy the Creator in all His goodness and beauty!

We must rebel against such erroneous views of independence … and we do that by a heart of submission. Nothing is more Christ-exalting (and freeing) than submission to the King. May your joy be found not in “you being you”, but in “you coming under Him”. 

We need not be afraid, we need not let anger control us, and we need not turn to any other solution than allegiance to the Ultimate King.

If you are a Christ-follower committed to growing as a servant-disciple on mission for the glory of King Jesus … well then, I’ll be so bold as to say – Church Membership is a MUST.

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.