In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul addresses a rather sensitive and oft-avoided topic in the church. In this chapter, he discusses the issues of immorality in the church, excommunication, and the difference between those in the church and those outside of it. Let’s read the beginning of the chapter and dive into its meaning: “It is […]
Living and Surviving
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” – Jim Elliot Probably the most famous quote by the late missionary Jim Elliot, it is the polar opposite of what we are taught nearly everywhere else but the Bible. We care a whole lot more about safety and […]
Ordinary Folk
“Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay… small acts of kindness and love.” – Gandalf Ah Gandalf, wizard of Middle Earth, lover of Hobbits, […]
Focus on Heaven
Heaven is that far off place in the sky that we all imagine in our heads, with angels, white horses, and all our best friends. We’ll all get there eventually, but for now, let’s all just forget about it and get on with our lives. Or, maybe not. Forget all of the stuff in the […]
The Divided Church
Have you ever noticed how many labels we have? I’m talking just in the Christian community, not even the world at large. To start off, we have all the denominations. From Baptists to Lutherans, Methodists to Presbyterians, we’ve split ourselves up in to so many sections its difficult to remember what they all mean. Then, […]
A Tame Lion
As a kid, I loved The Chronicles of Narnia. I mean I really loved them. Those books were my favorite books, and I even watched the movies several times. My favorite part of the first book, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is this little quote here: “Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh” […]
Outside the Gates
American Christianity is a unique thing. We as a culture are distinctly different from the rest of the world, and thus our faith is culturally different than the way Christians live in other parts of the world. Being a first world country isn’t always a good thing, at least for our faith. You see, in […]
Called to Obey
Called to Obey by Grace Maples The nightly news. It’s depressing, appalling, and scary for Christians to watch. The world is going downhill, and we must act to stop it! Yet, we often times get into our routine and try to fit in with the world instead of fight. We strive to be popular instead […]
The Toilet Brush
Words have power. Especially in this technological world we live in now, nearly everyone has a voice. With this new opportunity, though, comes a danger. With this power and success that we can gain, there comes a certain degree of pride that seeps in. This holds true even when our voice is being used for […]
Beyond a Shadow
“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” – C.S. Lewis, […]