A Lesson from the Church in Croatia
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35, NLT) In the years since Croatia’s break from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, evangelical Christians in the country have both enjoyed and endured a burgeoning of religious expression. And with this newfound freedom, the question has now […]
Sermon on the Mount: What Is Love in Christianity?
What is love in Christianity? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us about the love God has for us and we are called to have for each other. If you made a list of “The Top 10 Greek Words Normal Churchgoers Know,” agape would be on that list. It’s the word Jesus uses […]
Laying Down Your “Freedoms”
Lately, I’ve been wrestling with something I’m seeing in the church. I may have already lost the Western audience from the title, but I think Christians should be talking about this. The phrase “Laying Down Your Freedoms” may have brought 1 Corinthians 10 to mind. To summarize a lengthy passage, Paul describes freedoms that Christians […]
Would Nice Be Better?
“Why can’t we all just get along?” We’ve all heard this phrase and have likely said it ourselves, usually in the thick of a heated argument to wave a white flag of surrender. For Christians, thankfully, these words have an answer and an antidote. We know that we’re broken sinners in need of a Savior. […]
Carry Each Other’s Burdens
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, NIV) We are living in the most connected age in history. The lightning-quick speed of communication and the vast array of communication methods we have are astounding. I am old enough to have seen the development of many […]
Which Definition of Love Do You Use?
Even if you don’t necessarily love New York, the odds are good that you or someone you know has one of those “I Love New York” mugs. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s actually something that I can explain fairly easily (which isn’t always easy for me when it comes to things like dishware). […]
Is It Possible to Vent without Gossiping?
We all need someone to talk to. And if we don’t talk about the things that bother us, we often internalize our angst in ways that can become debilitating and dangerous. But how do we talk about the things that bother us without being slanderous or gossipy? Many of us go to safe spaces. A […]
Distractions: A Strategy for Diverting Our Attention from Jesus
I recently got back from a week of serving at a youth camp. It was a great experience, but it showed me how high and constant the watermark of spiritual warfare is in the church. I don’t know about you, but when I hear the phrase “spiritual warfare,” my mind usually goes straight to an […]
