Here are 5 Key Connections from recent Christian articles around the web, including the difference between legalism and discipline, how God’s grace leads us into worship, and more.
Here’s why you believe, if you are a Christian: God set His love on you. God’s Holy Spirit awakened you. God drew you to Himself. He redeemed you. He gave you new life from above, and you did nothing to deserve it! Neither did I. That’s grace.
You have to understand there is a universe of difference between discipline and legalism. Legalism says, “I will do this thing in order to gain merit before God.” Discipline says, “I love God, I love the Lord Jesus Christ and I will discipline myself to please them.”
My kids and yours are aiming high, trying hard, and taking big risks. We want to assure them and comfort them with all kinds of “probablys,” and “don’t worrys,” and “of course you wills!”
But, the truth is, these parental phrases fall short. Our kids need a better hope than their own abilities. A better hope than probably. A better hope than comparison to their peers. A better hope than “you’ve got this.” Even a better hope than “I believe in you!”
I’ve also discovered that suffering and sadness do not negate the power of gratitude. Even when you are lamenting disappointments of life—the glass is half-empty stuff—gratitude still works. Often, in my experience, it overcomes negative emotions, or at least staves them off a bit. I don’t know how to explain that—a psychologist maybe could. I just know it works.
Genesis 12:1 shows us what happens when God speaks to a man. Before God speaks, deadness and darkness; after God speaks, life abundant. Abram’s redemption—like every believer’s—began with God speaking. No one comes to saving faith apart from God’s effective call.
Thought and speech are God’s gifts to creatures made in His image; these are intimately asociated with Him and impossible apart from Him. (A.W. Tozer) “Reading and writing are so boring and a waste of time.” “Why do we have to learn to talk? I already know how to.” As...
[This article was co-authored by Nivine Richie] Each year, we find many opportunities to take on more responsibility. Some of our resolutions are good and reasonable: take a spiritual retreat, attend prayer meetings, invite others to our home, and practice hospitality. Others may be less feasible: invest more money, take...
As our king, Christ poured His life into us and cultivates that life within us. Out of our life in Christ, we surrender every square inch of our lives to His reign. Yet sin tempts us to reject obedience to God as our king. We must wage war against this...
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