Steve's Blog
A time to tear down and a time to build up. Ecclesiastes 3:3 (NLT)
We might be inclined to think that tearing down is negative, and building up is positive. It is a reasonable conclusion, but reality is more complicated. Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time, or a season for every activity. Sometimes things need to be torn down before it is possible to build up.
Chip Gaines of Fixer Upper fame loves demolition day. He knows that you must tear down some walls in order to build toward th...
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“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)
Paul’s comparison of physical versus spiritual training is fascinating. While conceding that exercise has value, he finds that it is minimal when viewed in the light of training for godliness. Paul’s appraisal is not in dispute. In fact, he shows us the overwhelming importance of living a holy life.
I enjoy exercise, or rather, I enjoy the bene...
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My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. Psalm 71:7 (NLT)
We cannot escape the fact that our lives are on display for others to observe and judge. Celebrities and athletes have tried to claim that they are not role models, but that does not negate the influence that they have over others. A message that is not consistent with character and behavior will be viewed as hypocrisy.
Ralph Waldo Emerson put it this way, “What you do speaks so loudly that I ...
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Come close to God, and God will come close to you. James 4:8 (NLT)
God does not want us to just come to him, He wants us to come closer. Why are so many of us afraid to come closer to God? Is it because we do not believe that he is approachable? Do we think that we would feel out of place close to God? Or are we comfortable with our worldly dalliances?
Fear is certainly a factor in our unwillingness to draw closer to God. Yet, he is always calling for us to join him and know him more intima...
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30 (CSB)
Would it be any surprise if I told you that there is a shortage of counselors and therapists? Stress, anxiety, insecurity, addictions, and many other things are pervasive in today’s society. Sadly, there is also a great demand amon...
“If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31–32 (NASB 2020)
We do not live our lives in a vacuum. When Jesus tells us “Continue in My word,” it is with the understanding that there will be opposition. The resistance comes from within, and from without.
In Ephesians 4, Paul tells us that God gave gifts to the church to build us up and fortify us in our faith. The goal of this instruction is maturity i...
A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. Luke 15:13 (NLT)
Everyone has a story to tell about prodigals. Prodigal children, or perhaps, prodigal siblings, or even prodigal parents. When we understand what is at stake, it is agonizing and causes us to have sleepless nights.
As parents, we do our best to raise our children in the “fear and admonition of the Lord.” We do not claim to be perfect,...
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Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. Jude 3 (NIV)
In Jude’s short letter, he gets right to the point: “contend for the faith.” As with other references in the New Testament, we find a strong allusion to athletics. To contend is to strive or struggle with intense effort in the arena. He had the intention of writing about the “...
If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 (CSB)
This verse presents a daunting challenge, “live at peace with everyone.” We don’t always live at peace with those who are closest to us, let alone everyone. It begins with the condition, “If Possible.” What makes it possible? After all, Christ-followers don’t always have a good relationship with each other, so how can we expect to live at peace with everyone?
The words of Jesus come to mind: “Ever...
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! Revelation 3:15–16 (NLT)
Is it better to be hot or to be cold? When I was coming-of-age, I understood this text meant that to be cold was bad, and that to be hot was good. We can make a case that either hot or cold can be desirable. However, to be lukewarm is repulsive, not to mention, dangerous.
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Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 (NLT)
In previous articles, we have covered growing and glowing. In this concluding post we will examine Christ’s Great Commission to the church to go. While most of us do not have any objections to the concept of growing and even glowing, the thought of going is likely to bring apprehension. We may agree in principle, but reality is daunting.
An exami...
But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the Lord had given him, and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face. So he would put the veil over his face until he returned to speak with the Lord. Exodus 34:34–35 (NLT)
We can use our imaginations and contemplate the glow that emanated from the face of Moses. It must’ve been more than the glow of a bl...
The book of Ecclesiastes informs us that there is “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.” Ecclesiastes 3:1–2 (NLT)
As each year goes by, we grow older, but that does not mean that we should stop growing. In fact, growing by learning and doing new things revitalizes us. There are things in our lives that are meant to remain constant and stable, but God also brings us into new areas...
Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12 (CSB)
Nearly 30 years ago, I had a business acquaintance, who was a leader in his church. He was an outspoken Christian in the workplace. One day he shared a plan with me regarding a business idea. While the proposal may not have been illegal, it raised certain ethical questions. When I questioned the ethics involved, His response was, “business is business.”
This...
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My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course. Proverbs 23:19 (NLT)
In my mind, New Year’s resolutions do not have a great deal of credibility. People have good intentions, but by the middle of January a preponderance of resolutions have already been abandoned. Some resolutions are unreasonable while for others “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
One of the weaknesses in New Year’s resolutions is that if we discover something that needs to be changed in our li...
It is entirely appropriate to think about Christ’s death, at this time of year when we celebrate his birth. Because without the cross, Bethlehem would have been meaningless and conversely the cross would not have been possible had Jesus not been born in Bethlehem. It all ties together.
It is not only appropriate to consider the cross at Christmas time, but it is essential to understanding the plans and purposes of God for the world in general and for us individually. To say that Christ came to...
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He existed in the form of God, yet he gave no thought to seizing equality with God as his supreme prize. Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in his death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion! Philippians 2:6–8 (TPT)
We may struggle to comprehend the sacrifice that Jesus made when he went to th...
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As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight! Mark 1:2–3 (CSB)
As we begin the Advent season, many preparations are underway. There are presents to be purchased, lights to be hung, trees to be trimmed, and so much more. Although there is a popular song that declares “it’s the most wonderful time of the year,” it could also be sa...
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:13–14 (NLT)
We are entering that time of year when extended family gets together, and it is rare that everyone agrees on everything. In some situations, topics of disagreement are avoided, but inevitably, in some gatherings, somebody will push buttons.
In so...
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I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. Revelation 1:18 (NLT)
Jesus holds the keys of death and the grave. Possession of the keys indicates authority. The Resurrection was more than an event fixed in history two thousand years ago, it represents a fundamental change in man's relationship with God. God, through Christ, paid the penalty for our sin and conquered death and the grave. There is no domain excluded from his autho...
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Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
This is my story. It’s not as dramatic, or as traumatic as other people’s testimonies, but it illustrates God’s goodness and his faithfulness.
To provide context I need to go back to about 2 months before I was born. My mother was riding in the backseat of a car that was involved in an accident. This was before the days of seatbelts and other safety restraints, and...
These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7 (NLT)
Without testing, there will always be room for doubt regarding the genuineness, durability, and even practicality of anything. Certainly, companies take sho...
The warfare we’re engaged in, you see, isn’t against flesh and blood. It’s against the leaders, against the authorities, against the powers that rule the world in this dark age, against the wicked spiritual elements in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (BFE)
Jesus told us that in the last days we would hear of wars and rumors of wars. We know that throughout history, times of complete peace have been rare, if not nonexistent. Arguments for pacifism are at times compelling, and yet there h...
For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 (CSB)
The expression, “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket” has been around for centuries. It advises that it is unwise to place all of your resources, hopes, dreams, even faith in one place, or in one person.
In parts of the world, it is relatively easy to persuade someone to “accept Christ” into their life. The problem is that they simply add...
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You live in a world of deception. In their deception they refuse to know me. This is the Lord’s declaration. Jeremiah 9:6 (CSB)
God’s words through Jeremiah ring true today. Ours is a world of deception. If we are reading a mystery novel or watching a magic act, deception can be entertaining. But it can also be deadly. Previously, we read:
“Beware of your neighbor! Don’t even trust your brother! For brother takes advantage of brother, and friend slanders friend. They all fool and defraud ea...