Month: July 2013

Your Flight Is Confirmed

A heavy thunderstorm delayed our flight to Frankfurt, causing us to miss our connecting flight. We were told that we had been confirmed on another flight the next evening. But when we arrived at the gate, we were told that we were on standby. The flight was full.

Discover an important balance between practicing our freedom, and causing others to stumble

Enjoying a glass of wine with dinner may be a treat for you, but for a recovering alcoholic it could have serious implications. An important discussion about Paul's word in Romans chapter 14.

Your choice – To be close or distant?

By Cindy Tan, Malaysia Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long (Ps 25:4-5). The Psalms have a way of capturing the reality of our human experience. Often, we could [...]

Guidelines on making wise decisions on tricky issues

The Bible is clear that things like adultery, stealing, and murder are sin. But what about those gray areas like watching certain movies, playing video games, and social drinking?

What’s Love?

When asked “What’s love?” children have some great answers. Noelle, age 7, said, “Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.” Rebecca, who is 8, answered, “Since my grandmother got arthritis, she can’t bend over and polish her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even after his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.” Jessica, also 8, concluded, “You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”

Discover help in navigating through murky moral waters

As followers of Jesus we want to know the boundary lines. What we can do, and what we can’t do. Unfortunately, life isn’t always that black and white.

Press On!

By Tracy Phua, Singapore “So how has your week been?” My cell group leader asked me. I looked up, shrugged my shoulders, and gave my usual orchestrated response, “Super busy.” I must admit, I’ve been guilty of giving such patronizing response. But in my defence, I HAVE been really busy, and not to mention, stressed [...]

The Wisdom Of Crowds

The online description of The Wisdom of Crowds reads, “In this fascinating book, New Yorker business columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea: Large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant—better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future.”

The Rules Of Disengagement

In her book Throw Out Fifty Things, Gail Blanke outlines four “Rules of Disengagement” to help people clear the clutter from their lives. The first rule states: “If it . . . weighs you down, clogs you up, or just plain makes you feel bad about yourself, throw it out, give it away, sell it, let it go, move on.”

Taking Root

A small area of my yard just couldn’t seem to get going. The grass always seemed sparse in that spot, no matter how well I watered it.

How Christians in Rome worked through some sticky disagreements

How can an activity be sin for one person and perfectly all right for another? That hardly seems fair! Let's walk through a passage in Romans 14 where the apostle Paul helped the Christians in Rome work through some sticky disagreements.

CIA Agents Mission #1: Season Speech with Salt

By Isaac Tan, 20, Singapore “Stand up, stand up for Jesus” is an old, familiar tune that many Christians have sung before. It is much like an anthem and it calls on God’s people to remain resilient and steadfast in the faith as soldiers would. But how many of us really stand up for what [...]

Where Can Wisdom Be Found?

Wisdom is the beauty of holiness. James says wisdom is reasonable; flexible; forgiving; peaceful; caring; given to friendly visits, small acts of courtesy, and kind words. It is humble, transparent, simple, gentle, and gracious to the core (James 3:17).

A thought-provoking study in Romans 14 continues

We’d never stick our foot in the aisle at church to make someone fall flat on their face! Let's talk about the spiritual ways we can trip up other believers, without even realizing it!

Too Blessed

On my daily commute to and from the office, I have plenty of time for reading—bumper stickers on cars, that is. Some are surly, others clever, and still others downright distasteful. One bumper sticker I saw recently, however, gently challenged my heart about the way I often engage life. The sticker simply said, “Too blessed to complain.”