Category: Level: Intermediate

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Follow His Example

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Today’s post is an interpretation of the first chapter of the most popular devotional book in the history of Christianity, The Imitation of Christ. It was written by a monk (or possibly several monks) in the 15th century named Thomas a Kempis. The chapter has been clarified, condensed and changed in a few places, all with the hope that it will be easier to read without losing any of the power of the original. Notice how direct and challenging the author is; this style is not as popular today but does reflect the urgency found in scripture. The first chapter leads us to focus on Jesus’ words and follow his example. Imitation of Christ, Chapter One. Jesus said “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness.” (John 8:12) He teaches us to follow his example if we want to see true light. Let us make it our highest priority to meditate Continue Reading →

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Humble Leadership – Part 2

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Last week we looked at three foundational attitudes for humble leadership: thinking of oneself as a student, a servant, and a messenger. Together these attitudes form humility in us. Today we build on humility with more ideas that deepen humility and equip us for mature leadership, whether we lead as a parent, a spouse, an employee, or in ministry. Truly Love People. This means our heart is committed to the well-being of the people we serve, with at least some measure of affection. If we don’t truly love the people, then we need to find a way to change our hearts or reconsider our calling. Be Weak and Strong. We are a flower in the field but also an anchor in the storm. This sounds like a paradox but it actually makes a lot of sense. Jesus made himself vulnerable for the sake of the people he served, but he was, and is, Continue Reading →

humility

Humble Leadership – Part 1

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You just finished leading a great meeting. Everyone was happy and happy with you. Several smiled and thanked you personally. At home you are feeling thankful for being able to lead. Then, as you relax, your mind starts wandering and thinking about what a great person you are. You are a fantastic leader, so much better than most…whoa! What happened here? You were just thinking about being thankful then you started getting delusions of grandeur. How quickly spiritual pride rears its head and sabotages humble leadership. Scripture teaches that you have an old self, or “flesh” that you have to fight. It has desires that assault us, which we resist by centering on Christ, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Rom. 13:14, NIV). This explains why these temptations and impulses rise up within us. In Continue Reading →

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How To Deal With Unwanted Thoughts – Part 2

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This is the second of two blog posts on unwanted thoughts. The first post looked at the stages a thought goes through, and when we need to stop it. This post looks at specific strategies for dealing with unwanted thoughts. In general, we can examine the thought, reject it, then let it float by. We can turn our mind to something else, and let the thought die of neglect. We may have to repeat this process hundreds of times for ingrained unwanted thoughts. What Is A Mature Christian?February 21, 2025Loving The Beauty Of HolinessFebruary 17, 2025Correcting Fellow BelieversFebruary 14, 2025

expectations unwanted thoughts

How To Deal With Unwanted Thoughts – Part 1

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You are innocently working on one of your daily tasks and all of a sudden an evil thought comes into your head. It plays for a few seconds, but you don’t embrace it. You mentally fight and reject it. Then you feel a little dazed and confused by its impact. Finally, the thought fades away. Now you are wondering how to deal with unwanted thoughts. Then you start wondering where it came from. Is this from you? Is it some buried corruption you are not aware of? Or is it from Satan? Is it a combination of the two? Is it from neither one, just a quirk of the human mind? Was it triggered by something around you by the power of suggestion? Is it just free association? You can’t really figure it out. Regardless of how they come, it is frustrating and sometimes discouraging when unwanted thoughts come in. Continue Reading →