Sketch by Patrick Murphy: inspiredsketch.blogspot.com “Love…bears all things….” (1 Cor. 13:6-7). Considering what Jesus suffered when He died on the cross, is there anything the Lord wouldn’t call us to bear in love? We all have an internal line that says, “I will only take this much and no more.” This is fine because it…
Category: Discipleship
Nothing without Christ
“[W]e labored and struggled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you. It is not that we don’t have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us (2 Thess. 3:8-9). Paul comments that, while ministering to…
Terror and Darkness
After promising Abram descendants, the Lord restated His promise to give Abram the land of Canaan. Abram asked, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?” (Gen. 15:8). The Lord answered by telling Abram to sacrifice a three year old cow, a three year old female goat, a three year old ram, a turtledove, and a…
Only One Is All
My wife and I were talking recently about America’s divisive socio-political landscape. COVID and protests have exacerbated division but did not create it. Division exists in each of us because human nature is prone to sin. Strident exchanges are everywhere. As usual, social media is the great bullhorn, amplifying every discourtesy and difference. Even between…
Church of Cowards
Matt Walsh was unknown to me until a few months ago. A friend asked me to read Walsh’s book Church of Cowards so we could talk about it. Walsh is a conservative blogger aligned with the religious right. I’m not the religious right’s biggest fan but I read on anyway. Walsh is a literary bludgeon. If…
Shhh! Don’t Tell the Governor or President!
Much of the world is living with restrictions because of coronavirus. Like many others, I’ve struggled with all of this. Every time guidelines/restrictions are added or changed, it takes time for me to process them and adjust. I’ve seen myself go through some classic stages of grief: denial, anger, depression…I haven’t really bargained because there…
Love, not Law
The following appeared in our local paper’s religion column last weekend. It is a revision of a previous post, “Love, not Law”. The paper re-titled it “What Complete Freedom Means.” *** “Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). Most Christians know…
Jesus Is Coming. Look Busy.
Paul ends his letter to the Thessalonians with final instructions for the community. His directives culminate in verses 23 and 24: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will…
Crying in the Wilderness
The following is a poem and meditation on John the Baptist. John is a window to a season each of us will experience if we are knowing Christ in His death. It is the place where we know, of a surety, that we will die—perhaps physically, but also psychologically. In the shadow of death, all…
Am I Growing?
Not long ago, it was my turn to share from scripture at a men’s group I attend. As I asked the Lord what to talk about, I found my mind turning to questions: Am I growing spiritually? If so, how do I know? I decided to raise these questions at the men’s group to see…
