In my previous post, I mentioned that the gospel is essentially a criticism against us and a hope for us. It is a criticism against us because it exposes our failures and imperfections, and it is a hope for us because it offers us a way out of our total inadequacy. Recognizing that criticism is …
More →This past week Michael preached “Overcoming Anger” from James 1:19-26. Anger is an intense emotional response to being denied something we really want. It can be legitimate anger, but even so, typically the legitimacy of our anger soon intersects with the sin of our heart, and it leads us away from “the righteousness that God …
More →Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20 I am a fan of profoundly simple and practical advice. There are plenty of instances in scripture where we are presented with spiritual …
More →I’ll be completely honest with you: I can’t stand to be criticized. And it’s not that I think I’m above criticism—certainly not. It’s just that criticism has this way of . . . crushing me. That’s right—it knocks the breath right out of me, and leaves me dizzy on the floor. Don’t get me wrong. …
More →If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5 Theology, properly speaking, is defined as the study of God. Sounds heady, stuffy, maybe even boring; I’ll admit to falling asleep to a theology book or two. We have to …
More →I was texting with a friend of mine who, as I type, is in New Orleans, getting ready for the National Championship game tonight. He’s an LSU tiger fan and couldn’t be more excited to see his team fight for the highest prize in college football. No doubt the town is buzzing today with fans …
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