Identity Security

I get the local newspaper in an email from my inbox every morning. Not because I necessarily like reading the news, but my Mother still gets the paper delivered to her residence and I get the online version as a benefit. Many years ago I stopped reading the paper regularly due to the bias evident in almost every so-called news story - depending on the author or the delivery method. If I want news I’ll usually look at my BBC app or phone a friend. It must have been a…

The reason we fear to step out is because we know that it might not go well (is that an understatement?). We have a history of wounds screaming at us to play it safe. We feel so deeply that if it doesn’t go well, if we are not received well, their reaction becomes the verdict on our lives, on our very beings, on our hearts. We fear that our deepest doubts about ourselves as women will be confirmed. Again. That we will hear yet again the message of our wounds, the…

I was recently introduced to a term I wasn’t quite familiar with. Progressive Christianity. Encouraged to listen to Alisa Childers (a former CCM recording artist) on a Podcast hosted by Impact 360, I was able to draw a quick conclusion and decided to share my findings with you. Impact 360 is an organization that equips high school graduates and teens, of this current generation (Gen Z), to be change agents in the world for Jesus. This podcast focused on the current…

King Hezekiah of Judah faithfully served the Lord with his whole heart (2 Chronicles 29:2). After the nation had fallen into idolatry, he reestablished proper worship of God. But his devotion to the Lord also extended into his personal life, and that’s exactly how we should live as well.  Our seeking after God should be characterized by: Wholeheartedness. A united heart has one preeminent desire—to please the Lord. But a divided heart tries to live both for…

We may not relate to the idols people worshipped long ago. But in modern life, potential idols are everywhere—and on the surface, they sometimes appear good and praiseworthy. Take health, for example. Is regular exercise an effort to be a good steward of the body God has provided, or do we turn to it for a sense of identity or worth? And what about finances—do we save money to wisely prepare for the future and fund kingdom work, or do we cling to financial…

Six years after beginning what he assumed would be a relatively typical research process that sought to better understand how God transforms people’s lives, researcher George Barna discovered that he had tackled a deeply challenging and amazingly revealing journey. The product of his effort was the ability to identify some of the developmental processes, experiences, and obstacles that are common across the lives of Americans of all backgrounds. He contends that while…

The Lord makes known His love for mankind in so many ways. Consider, for example, His providential care and kindness to all humanity, our beautiful planet filled with creation’s wonders, and the gift of eternal life to all who trust Christ as Savior. But have you ever recognized that God also shows love by transforming believers into the image of His Son? Genesis 1:26 tells us that in the beginning, God created mankind in His likeness. Though that image was marred…

When the Lord overturned tables in the temple court (Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18), He drove out moneychangers along with people buying and selling goods. By all accounts, this was a passionate demonstration. Jesus purposefully expressed His convictions and took action. Remembering this is helpful as we think about attachment and detachment—it highlights that being passionate about something can be totally different from a passion that draws us away from God. Imagine…

Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates made history when they launched the Giving Pledge, promising to donate half of their money. As of 2018, this meant giving away 92 billion dollars. The pledge made psychologist Paul Piff curious to study giving patterns. Through a research test, he discovered that the poor were inclined to give 44 percent more of what they had than wealthy people. Those who’ve felt their own poverty are often moved to greater generosity. Jesus…