In the conservative Christian circles I live in, we often talk about the war on marriage: how the laws of our culture must uphold the biblical pattern against those who would seek to redefine it.
While that may be true, we seem to be ignoring a painful reality. The church lost that same war decades ago: on the issue of divorce. Maybe we should take the time to understand why before we make the same mistakes all over again.
Continue readingLord, unify your family, starting with mine.
Continue readingFinally, the day has arrived!
Our garden has been infested with poke-lizards at least as long as my son has been alive.
A few years ago we decided to get rid of them.
First haphazardly, then more methodically, we have been trapping them, sealing up the boundaries of our yard, and destroying the warrens they live in.
Now there is only one place left for them to hide.
Time to set off the lizard-bomb.
We are at some sort of campsite
Probably military.
There’s a cheerful guy
Dresses and acts
Like a maintenance man
But he’s really a mafia don.
To the tune of Psalm 22.
Oh Lord! How long must I wait? How long will you leave me in dismay?
The one I love has turned against me. Her teeth rip into my skin. Hard sticks break my bones.
Lord, I am not innocent in your eyes. Who can stand before your perfect justice? Who can measure up to your standards of holiness?
But I have humbled myself before God and man — and woman! I have searched my heart and confessed my sins against those who have wronged me. I have repaid good for evil, and forgiven those who plotted against me.
Lord, look down with mercy upon your servant, who trusts in you. You alone are my hope and salvation. I am like one struck dumb. All my words are turned against me.
Save me O Lord. You are my only hope.
Online Version https://forms.gle/xraVo3KsSSQ5npTV8
This worksheet is designed to help you achieve victory over the spiritual and psychological “curses” that prevent you from living the abundant life God intends for you. Specifically, it provides a structured format for us to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:6). The idea of making petitions to a heavenly judge is inspired by the idea of literal heavenly courts as taught by Robert Henderson and others, but you can also use it metaphorically as an advanced Twelve Steps program for taking ground in other aspects of your life.
Continue readingIn Which We Reject God’s Dominion, And Pay The Price
When God created the world, He gave us (mankind) dominion over all the plants and animals. But it was not an unconditional grant: rather, we have a responsibility to take His already “very good” creation to the next level, by filling the earth with His image.
And if we fail in that responsibility, the price is high…
For the third part of my trilogy on leadership development, I want to focus on practical skills. Here’s my short list (twelve, again) of the key abilities I believe leaders need to cultivate. Anything you would add or subtract?
Apologies for the pretentious title, but I wanted to challenge myself to identify and reorganize the lessons we covered in last year’s leadership class into a coherent prescription for facing down “Ministry Killers”. The idea is that each of these “steps” would be a single “life lesson”, but that together they provide the “full armor of God.“
What do you think? Did I miss anything important?
Radically Happy 