contentment

Finding a Peaceful Place

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ ‘For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” – Luke 18:1-5 Yesterday, we talked about how pursuing Jesus in solitude is the only way to truly overcome loneliness. As strange as it sounds, by “leaning into the knife” and seeking the Lord in isolation, we can ultimately find the peace and contentment

May 13, 2022 1 Comment

Faith of Sufficiency

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4 Yesterday we talked about the faith of desperation and how God honors it, just like He does the faith of propriety. Today, I want us to look at a third and final kind of faith: the faith of sufficiency. When we have matured and grown through the faith of propriety and desperation, we ultimately come to a faith of sufficiency. This is the best kind of faith because it’s one that has nothing to do with external circumstances; it’s the type of unhindered trust in God’s character and goodness that cannot be shaken by what happens around it. Job ultimately came to this point of

March 9, 2022 1 Comment

The Good Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” – Psalm 23:1-3 Earlier this month, we touched briefly on Psalm 23, reminding us we lack nothing. For the next couple of days, we’re going to take a closer look at this beloved verse as we continue talking about living a life without lack and having everything we need in the sufficiency of God’s Kingdom. As we work through specific verses of the Psalm, I encourage you to commit them to memory so you can meditate on them and really allow their truth to sink into your spirit! The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing. We talked yesterday about how we have a good Shepherd and how in His love, we have everything

February 15, 2022 2 Comments

Deception

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8 While it’s not pleasant to think about, it’s important to remember that there is a kingdom of darkness surrounding us and that as Christians, we have an adversary named Satan who is serious about wreaking havoc in our lives. Though we often envision the forces of hell warring in acts of blatant evil, violence, or malice, the primary strategy of the devil is always deception. The enemy is an angel of light, and he is really good at slyly deceiving us so that we begin to fall away from abundant life. He knows that if he can get us to doubt the Lord’s love in any fashion, he gains a foothold, and we start to suffer. By convincing us ever-so-subtly that our best existence is

June 20, 2021 No Comments

Make Small Things Big

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” – Matthew 6:24 As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that we inherit abundant life when big things become small and small things become big. What I mean is that although society teaches us that fulfillment comes when we attain wealth or find worldly success, the truth is that the seemingly ordinary and less glamorous things in life are actually the fabric of contentment, happiness, and productivity. Though I’ve traveled all over the world, I just love New York City. There’s something about that bustling metropolis that allures me, because it seems to represent the American spirit under a magnifying glass. And while many imagine New Yorkers being stern and mean, I haven’t found that to

March 13, 2021 1 Comment

Embrace Joy!

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” – Psalm 16:11 Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a joyful person, and I get told that…a lot. I tend to go around whistling; in fact, someone said that I come with an announcement because I always seem to be chirping a tune. I don’t hear myself doing it, but when I enter a building or a room, people know I’m there. I’m also a smiling and silly person — I enjoy living, and it’s not uncommon to hear comments (sometimes sideways) about my happiness. While some may feel that it’s superficial or “over-the-top,” I can say for certain that it’s not, because I have a reason to be glad! Every day, I wake up overwhelmed by the goodness of God and by what

March 12, 2021 No Comments

Heavenly Happiness

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:3 As Christians, we hear the word “blessed” a lot, but we tend to lose sight of its actual meaning. When we read things like “blessed are the poor in spirit,” we imagine that the term denotes goodness, righteousness, or holiness when in reality, it refers to something that seems far less spiritual. In Hebrew, the word most often translated “blessed” is asher, and in Greek, it’s makarios. Both of these can be defined as “happy,” and they infer that blessed people are living the good life. Unfortunately, long-faced religion has taught that true discipleship is not synonymous with happiness…yet perhaps this is because our view of the latter is inaccurate. When we think of being happy, we often associate it with worldly pleasures — stuff, sensuality, wealth, and achievement — rather than the state

January 24, 2021 No Comments

Finding a Peaceful Place

Faith of Sufficiency

The Good Shepherd

Deception

Make Small Things Big

Embrace Joy!

Heavenly Happiness

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