righteousness

Grace is Greater Than Guilt

“The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Timothy 1:14 Something I’ve learned as I’ve counseled people through the years is that shame always leads to sin and grace always leads to goodness. Nothing helpful comes from self-condemnation and guilt; rather, righteousness and holiness come from a base of grace, or an understanding that acceptance is not dependent upon behavior. The truth is that being emotionally healthy, grounded, and secure is only possible when we understand that in Christ, we are loved just as we are. God knew we were helpless to help ourselves, so He stooped down to us when we were still sinners and made us righteous by the blood of Jesus. This means that if we’ve said “yes” to our Savior’s redemption, we’ve already attained perfection in His eyes. And while

August 5, 2021 No Comments

Crushing Evil

“But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.” – Judges 4:21 I love that the Old Testament is full of stories about good conquering evil. Through the lens of a Jew born before Christ, every victory the Israelites had pointed to the ultimate victory of the Messiah and to the heart of a God who wanted justice to prevail. That said, there’s a very interesting account in the book of Judges, and I’m especially fond of it because it involves the forces of darkness being taken down by a woman. In the tradition of Eve, whose offspring would eventually crush the serpent’s head, this story is yet more proof of the Lord’s power to triumph over wickedness. Having been oppressed by a

July 8, 2021 No Comments

The Determination of Joseph

“Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.’” – Genesis 45:4,5 Yesterday, we looked at the Apostle Paul and how he managed to remain stubborn in his call but tender toward people. Today, I want to examine the life of another Biblical example of Godly grit, and that’s Joseph. One of Jacob’s twelve sons — and his father’s favorite — he started his life as a rather cocky young man. He was daddy’s boy, and he unashamedly flaunted it in front of his siblings, so they became increasingly jealous and conspired to sell him as a slave. After making a

April 15, 2021 No Comments

Stubborn For Truth

“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” – James 4:17 I shared yesterday about catching a shark when I was eleven years old, and how it taught me that being stubborn for what I want is (usually) a good thing. Another growing up story that reminds me of my unyielding nature happened when I was in the car with a friend a few years later. Michael was his name, and we were busy talking when he got into the drive-thru line at In-N-Out Burger. Somewhat distracted, he moved ahead a bit too quickly and just tapped the bumper of the vehicle in front of us. Naturally, he felt really bad, so we got out to inspect for damage. When we noticed a bunch of scuffs and scratches on the back of the other guy’s car, Michael began giving

April 13, 2021 No Comments

Chase After His Kingdom

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:33,34 Though it’s not easy, if we want to experience the fullness of God and inherit all of His beauty and riches, then we must pursue and give priority to His Kingdom and His righteousness. Contrary to how it seems, however, this doesn’t happen by running faster and trying harder. When I was in seminary and preparing to step into ministry, I had mentors who walked alongside me to warn me of the hardships of modern pastoral life. There are many things that make running a church difficult, and as I observed the stress and strain endured by a few of my fellow shepherds, I noticed that the ones

March 10, 2021 No Comments

Perfection Isn’t Required

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33 To be more effective for God in the coming year, it’s important to remember that we don’t have to be perfect to make a difference. When I was in high school, I decided I was going to start sharing my faith with anyone and everyone who would listen. That said, I went straight to the campus drug dealer and told Him about Jesus. Much to my surprise, He received the message with great enthusiasm and prayed with me to accept Christ. After that, he began sharing his newfound hope with others, and I was blown away as He embraced the things of God. However, a while later, I saw him standing in the school parking lot dealing crystal meth to another student. This troubled me, and I began

January 4, 2021 No Comments

Justice Is In the Lord’s Hands

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.” – Psalm 89:14 One of the most powerful things we can do as we look ahead to a new year is to focus on letting go of bitterness. I think many who’ve been hurt deeply feel invalidated when hearing messages on unforgiveness, because there’s a sense that surrendering something takes away from the sting and severity of the wrong done. I’m certain many of you have been wounded so deeply that you’re still dealing with the ramifications and consequences in your daily life. If that’s you, I want you to know that I’m very sorry for what happened. The way you were sinned against broke the heart of our Heavenly Father, and He is grieved over your pain. Knowing that, I believe the truth that all of us can grab hold of today is that

December 29, 2020 No Comments

Grace is Greater Than Guilt

Crushing Evil

The Determination of Joseph

Stubborn For Truth

Chase After His Kingdom

Perfection Isn’t Required

Justice Is In the Lord’s Hands

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