Knowing & Being Known

“No philosophical theory which I have yet come across is a radical improvement on the words of Genesis, that 'In the beginning God made Heaven and Earth.'" - C. S. Lewis The first thing God revealed about Himself in Scripture is not that He is loving, holy, omnipotent, gracious, or just. No, the first thing God showed us is that He is creative! For the first six days, God revealed His creative spirit by speaking stars, animals, and oceans into.…

In 1799, twelve-year-old Conrad Reed found a large, glittering rock in the stream that ran through his family’s small farm in North Carolina. He carried it home to show his father, a poor immigrant farmer. His father didn’t understand the rock’s potential value and used it as a doorstop. The family walked by it for years. Eventually Conrad’s rock—actually a seventeen-pound gold nugget—caught the eye of a local jeweler. Soon the Reed…

Many people today may appear fine on the outside, but if we could look beneath the surface, we’d see otherwise—places in their souls they’ve tried to fill with worldly success, possessions, or popularity. But the truth is, those things will never satisfy. Only God can give us genuine fulfillment and peace. (See John 6:35; Phil. 4:6-7.) Now, this doesn’t mean that life will always be perfect or ordered just to our liking. In fact, Jesus told us that…

Most of us have been misinterpreting life and what God is doing for a long time. "I think I'm just trying to get God to make my life work easier," a client of mine confessed, but he could have been speaking for most of us. We're asking the wrong questions. Most of us are asking, "God, why did you let this happen to me?" Or, "God, why won't you just ________" (fill in the blank—help me succeed, get my kids to straighten out,…

Many Christians struggle with waiting. There are a lot of things we want right now—and we usually have the ability to follow through on our desires. In fact, that’s what the entire credit card industry is all about: Have it now; pay later. But possessions aren’t the only thing we’re in a rush for. Some people are so eager to be married that they make an unwise choice regarding a mate. Others are in such a hurry to become successful and well-respected…

Before we go any farther in our search, I need to make the offer of Christianity clear: There is a way The world often evaluates decisions in terms of pros and cons, benefits and drawbacks. What happens if we apply that same thinking to spiritual matters: What are the benefits of following God’s wisdom? Or, in other words, Why should we seek to obey the instructions given in Scripture? First of all, in seeking God’s wisdom, we acquire a deeper understanding and…

James Cameron, director of the movie *Titanic,* describes the Titanic as a ‘metaphor’ of life: ‘We are all living on… [the] Titanic.’ When the Titanic set sail in 1912, it was declared to be ‘unsinkable’ because it was constructed using a new technology. The ship’s hull was divided into sixteen watertight compartments. Up to four of these compartments could be damaged or even flooded, and still the ship would float.,…

Jesus’ freedom is a difficult thing to teach on for many reasons; let me name two. First, there are certain types who will hear this and find it an excuse to live as they please. Many characters in our irreverent age “don’t care what others think.” Their freedom is abrasive and unholy. The freedom Jesus models is not a crass “giving the finger to the world.” Or the church, for that matter. Others will dismiss the freedom Jesus offers out…

Paul told the Philippians that living worthy of the gospel of Christ meant fearlessness before enemies. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . . not frightened in anything by your opponents (Philippians 1:27-28). Then he gave the logic of fearlessness. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake (Philippians 1:29). The logic is this: God has given you two gifts, not…