"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Jesus (Matthew 5:6, ESV). What is righteousness, why would we want it, and how do we get it? What Righteous Is In the Bible, “righteousness” simply means “doing what is right” (as God defines “right”). In fact, the Greek word in Matthew 5:6, δικαιοσύνη, is sometimes just … [Read more...] about Righteousness
Sanctification
All or Something
"...A few days of bad travel, bad sleep, bad food, and bad workouts. The Steel Does Not Care. Neither do I. GET BACK AT IT." - Jocko Willink All or nothing. There is something special about "all." "All" is perfection. It is success. It is mastery. The streak still running. The New Year's resolution unbroken. The One Year Bible on track. Not one sip. Not one … [Read more...] about All or Something
Learning from the Snake
Snakes... Most people don’t like snakes. The picture above is probably triggering some of you right now. They just look scary. They are also sneaky, which means they often surprise and frighten us. In the Bible, they have many negative associations, too. Satan appears to Adam and Eve as a snake (Genesis 3:1; cf. Revelation 12:9). The legalistic Pharisees and … [Read more...] about Learning from the Snake
You Can Change
YOU CAN CHANGE: GOD’S TRANSFORMING POWER FOR OUR SINFUL BEHAVIOR AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONSBy Tim Chester We just finished this book in a recent class at church, and I wanted to commend it to you. It is a helpful, ultra-practical look at sanctification. Chester uses a mix of scripture, historical wisdom, and pastoral experience to inspire and instruct us towards positive … [Read more...] about You Can Change
Sequence
Certain things follow certain things. The important thing is to know what thing follows what thing for you. What are your sequences? Does anger follow tiredness? Does temptation follow spiritual highs? Does insight follow reading? Does relief follow rest? Even the Bible notes sequence. James tracks the birth and trajectory of sin. He notes certain pre-sin … [Read more...] about Sequence