Fear in general is rooted in perceived lack. “I’m worried that if I don’t work hard enough, I’ll lose my job, and my family won’t have anything to eat.” “What if the right people don’t get into office? I could…
Unafraid of Those Who Would Destroy Us
This morning, I was reading the second half of Matthew 10 (which is a gem of a passage). One of the verses that stood out to me is a well-known metaphor: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet…
Do Not Be Afraid of Scorn
I ran across a really cool verse in Isaiah this morning: Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults. Isaiah…
Manipulative Prayers
You and I have been given power from God in the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49, 2 Timothy 1:17, etc.). This is power – there’s no such thing as “good power” or “bad power.” It’s raw power. How it is used…
Out of Fear, Into Trust
There are different kinds of fear. There’s the kind that is afraid of other people – what they will or will not do. That’s a lack of love. There’s the kind of fear that is afraid that bad things will…
Logic vs. Trust
Fear is the direct result of mistrust. Maybe we don’t trust a person. Maybe we don’t trust ourselves. Maybe we don’t trust that all things really do work together for good. Whatever the reason, the fear comes because we aren’t…
Shine Bright!
There’s a song I’ve enjoyed for a while now. It goes something like, “Gotta shine like stars in the universe, Be a different kind of crazy, a different shade of crazy*.” It’s based on Philippians 2:15: “That you may show…
Walk Out of Shame: Nothing to Hide
Several weeks ago, I talked about how Jesus paid for our shame in full when He died on the cross. How we as believers think of our sin as paid for, yet we sometimes forget that Christ also paid for…
The Power of Your Voice
I heard a talk the other day about the power of the voice. Not as in, “you can communicate better if you use your voice correctly,” but more down the line of how powerful it is when you speak. The…
Stumbling Blocks to Our Faith
There are a few things that seem to be consistent stumbling blocks for Christians who are growing in their faith. I’m not necessarily talking about young Christians – though these can apply to them too – but about mature Christians…