How to Live a Fun, Purpose-filled, and Joyful 2025?
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” -Philippians 2:3-4 Picking up from my message on Christmas Eve, I’m adding Paul’s motivational advice on how to live as Christians! Paul wants us to avoid the very human tendency to put ourselves first and others second. By nature, we approach things with a “what’s-in-it-for-me?” attitude.
The Baby in the Manger
I remember the first moment I laid eyes on my daughters, how small, how helpless, how fragile they felt in my hands. The responsibility I felt to protect and nurture these tiny humans was overwhelming. We all enter this world with a blazing fragility, totally dependent on those in whose care we are placed. Why, then, would salvation begin with the baby in the manger? Why not begin with the Son of God descending from heaven onto the earth, adult and mature,
And I Will Always Love You
Surprised at how fast a close friend, someone you trusted, or someone you’re convinced is the love of your life, changes almost overnight, and you never know why? I will never forget you. We’ll stay this way forever. Have you ever heard someone promise you’d be in their heart forever and ever? The world may end, but their love or friendship will last until the end of time. And it sounds pleasing to our ears when we hear such things. However, it takes
The Truth, the Whole Truth, And Nothing But Lies
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. -Psalm 51:6 “Corrupt politicians, dishonest journalists and media outlets, broken social institutions, immoral religious leaders, unconstitutional government programs and policies, and more, have generated non-stop headlines highlighting the decadence of American society and the demise of the United States.” So George Barna concludes in a new study conducted recently. Although the study is about American society, the same can be said of many other parts of
A Bad Day?
So, you're having a bad day. A very bad day. No. You're having a bad, very long season in your life. Do you think that something horrible that happens to you could turn out to be something really good—or maybe not even really good, but one of the best things that ever happened to you? The apostle Paul thinks so. 1) In Romans 8, Paul says that God is at work in everything for good for those who love God and are called according to his
Holy Week – Day 5: Maundy Thursday: This Is Love
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. -1 John 4:10–12 The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin “mandatum,” meaning commandment. This is in reference to the new
The Last Four Days of Holy Week Meditation
If someone asked you to associate one word each for the four days from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday, what would those four words be? For me, they would be love, suffering, grief, and joy. Maundy Thursday: Love A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. –John 13:34 Jesus’ new commandment is intended for the disciples’ welfare and for them to enjoy lives of meaning and purpose. In his ministry, he gives us a model of love
Invincible Joy: Oliver Asher on Finding Joy on The Walk Podcast
Oliver Asher presents us with one of the most amazing, gripping life stories we have had on our show. His struggles gave him plenty of reasons to be hopeless about life, yet he has written a book about the miraculous power Jesus Christ gives to rise above the worst of circumstances. Hear more about Oliver Asher's faith journey and his joy-fueled mission. You can find his book, Invincible Joy: Chasing God’s Dreams For Your Life, on Amazon, or read more at oliverasher.com. To hear
God of the Last Minute
Whether we study the Bible, the history of Israel, or the church, a consistent theme reappears: God likes to take his time doing his will, but he's never late. This means that often (very often), he prefers to wait until the last minute, the 59th minute of the eleventh hour, to answer our prayers and bring about his will and purposes. That God likes to do it this way is not hard to prove. Just read the hundreds of books written
God’s Love: The Best Gift
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16 God is love. We hear this all the time, and Scripture affirms his character is the very essence of love. Yet we make the mistake of ignoring Scripture and instead defining God's love in terms of what we think it is, rather than first understanding what his love means and then measuring ours in the light
