Category: Level: Beginner

guilt conviction sin

Embracing Conviction Of Sin

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Conviction of sin can lead to destructive attitudes as well as constructive sorrow. Seeing our sin may lead us to self-condemnation or rejection, or to imagining that God condemns or rejects us. We may begin to hate ourselves or think we are hopeless. These are all strategies of Satan. He knows that if we reject ourselves (for any reason, not just sin) that it will create a wall between us and God. Self-rejection may be Satan’s number one strategy in every person’s life. It cuts us off from the grace and power we need for healing. Instead, we should treat ourselves the way God does: with grace and forgiveness. We do not have permission from God to contradict what God thinks about us. We are His saints and His children. His Son died in our place so that nothing could ever separate us from His love and acceptance. If He Continue Reading →

listening well

7 Tips For Listening Well & Making Someone Feel Valued

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One of the most important elements of loving people is listening well. For me, this is a skill that always has room for improvement, but it is worth the effort and discipline because often it is the one thing that tells someone I care. In other words, it is essential to Christian love and Kingdom community. How we listen is a great indicator of how much we value relationships. The challenge is that listening involves death to self and a commitment to someone else’s well-being. When I talk, I love it when I can see someone is really listening and considering what I am saying, so that is the least I can do for others when they speak. Listening well is one of the most important ways of making someone feel valued. True listening may be one of the highest of virtues, but many people are very weak in their Continue Reading →

speak the truth in love

Speaking The Truth In Love

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Our “tongue-control” determines much of how our lives impact others. Consider how much our parents’ words shaped our lives. Consider how much the right words from a friend have encouraged us. “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Pro. 16:24, NIV). Consider how much the words of Scripture radically transform our lives. This impact from words is the reason it is so important to master our tongues; our words have the power to encourage and bless others. When we consider how little effort it takes, it is quite amazing that a few well-chosen words can infuse comfort or confidence into someone else’s heart. That is why Ephesians 4:15 states: “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (ESV). Words are essential to the kinds of relationships God wants to see Continue Reading →

bear one another's burdens

Learning To Bear One Another’s Burdens

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Most of us say that we want authentic fellowship, but are we practicing this when we have the opportunity? Specifically, are we bearing one another’s burdens as Scripture teaches? Do we pay attention to the burdens of our brothers and sisters in the Lord, whether we are at our church building or not, and look for ways to support them, emotionally or materially? This is essential for authentic community. Today we will meditate briefly on Galatians 6:2: “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ” (NLT). Absorb. What is the ‘law of Christ’ that this passage refers to? (See Mt. 22:39; Gal. 5:14; Rom. 13:9; 1 Jn. 3:23; James 2:8.) Imagine Jesus standing in front of you speaking these words to you; how does this affect you? Ruminate on it, understand it and let it sink in. Feelings. How did you feel as you absorbed Continue Reading →

new earth

How To Improve Your Eternal Perspective

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This is a short meditation on our destiny, designed to produce a stronger eternal perspective so that we can follow Jesus more closely. The passage is: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp Continue Reading →