In his latest book, “Gods at War”, Kyle Idleman makes a bold statement. He says, “What we are searching for and chasing after reveals the god that is winning the war in your heart.” As followers of Jesus we claim to worship Him alone as God. The truth is we all battle with idolatry, just as every generation before us has done. Our idols may look different these days, but anything that we put before God is an idol. We have forgotten that God is fiercely jealous and refuses to share the throne of our hearts with anyone or anything else.
Daily Life
Burn Away
There is a song on Meredith Andrews latest CD, “Worth It All“, titled “Burn Away”. The lyrics of the song express the desire to remove everything from our lives that is not of God.
Burn Away
Everything that breaks your heart
Everything that is not love
Purify my every thought
Take Away
Everything that comes between us
Everything that is untrue
Jesus make me more like You
Burn away
What an incredible prayer for our own lives. This is what true discipleship looks like. When we rid ourselves of all that is not of Christ, we will then brightly reflect His glory. [Read more…] about Burn Away
Fulfill Your Calling
I recently read a blog post by Chris Brown, a pastor at North Coast Church. In it he said something that rocked the way I have programmed myself to think. Pastor Brown said we should, “Seek to fulfill your calling, not your potential.” For years I have read and taught that each of us should be doing everything we could in order to maximize our potential. I always thought that was what Emerson meant when he said, “Don’t die with your music still inside you.” Now I see that piece of wisdom a little differently. Think about Emerson’s quote in regards to calling, not potential. How might that change the way you live?
The Life You’ve Always Wanted
Mornings have become my favorite times. For a lifelong night owl, this has been quite the transformation over the past several years. Ever since I moved to Indiana, I have fallen in love with the early part of the day. The temperature is mild and the humidity level is comfortable in the hours before the sun comes up fully. The sounds of birds and insects provide an amazing symphonic backdrop to the exquisite colors bursting forth on the new day. It is peaceful, quiet, and calm. The stillness of the morning engenders stillness in my heart. I am awed by the beauty that surrounds me and bask in the exquisiteness of God’s creation.
Serving Others
What are your plans for the weekend? How about the next vacation, have you started thinking about where you’d like to go and what you’d like to do? How about the work that needs to be done around your house, are you planning what you need to buy at the home center? So much of our lives are spent thinking about the things we need and would like to do. We put great thought and effort into mapping out the ideal vacation or the perfect landscaping project. Did you ever pause to consider how much time we spend designing our lives compared to how little we think about sharing the gospel of Jesus with our friends and neighbors?