Topic > Christian Living > Living Like Christ >
Why we should continue to express our love for God, even when it’s not popular
Have you ever been criticized, maligned, or rejected because of your love for the Lord? The same thing happened to Mary of Bethany! A motivating discussion about Mark 14.
Character Or Reputation?
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden (1910–2010) believed that character is far more important than reputation. “Your reputation is what you’re perceived to be by others,” Coach Wooden often told his players, “but your character is what you really are. You’re the only one that knows your character. You can fool others, but you can’t fool yourself.”
Why simply loving the Lord with who we are and what we have, is all God asks
Ever feel like even the best you could do is never enough? That you’ll never meet the expectations placed on you? More from our study in Mark, chapter 14.
Resolve To Resolve
I haven’t made any New Year’s resolutions since 1975. I haven’t needed any new ones—I’m still working on old ones like these: write at least a short note in my journal every day; make a strong effort to read my Bible and pray each day; organize my time; try to keep my room clean (this was before I had a whole house to keep clean).
Better Than Planned
Interruptions are nothing new. Rarely does a day go by as planned.
Life is filled with inconveniences. Our plans are constantly thwarted by forces beyond our control. The list is long and ever-changing: Sickness. Conflict. Traffic jams. Forgetfulness. Appliance malfunctions. Rudeness. Laziness. Impatience. Incompetence.
What it means to represent Christ to the world
To be an effective representative of God’s kingdom we need to understand God’s values and priorities! Practical application from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
Discover what it means to represent God’s heavenly kingdom
A good ambassador will faithfully promote the priorities of their native country, all while living on foreign soil. Insightful lessons from the book of Matthew.
All Spruced Up
Getting our children to look good for church was always a challenge. Ten minutes after arriving at church all spruced up, our little Matthew would look like he didn’t have parents. I’d see him running down the hall with his shirt half untucked, glasses cockeyed, shoes scuffed up, and cookie crumbs decorating his clothes. Left to himself, he was a mess.
I wonder if that is how we look sometimes.
Jesus’ illustration of two builders and the two very different houses they built
As a follower of Christ, you’re choosing to build your life upon God’s Word. And that likely means your life looks a little different from those who don’t follow the Lord. Take a seat at the study table.
Let’s look to Jesus for the blueprints on building a firm foundation for life
There are many things to build our lives around. But when the storms rage, will what we’ve built stand, or collapse? Another practical discussion.
The ideal way to wrap up any message!
A good preacher knows that you need a good start to a sermon, and a strong finish as well! Let's study how Jesus concluded His Sermon on the Mount.
Our Moral Compass
When Abraham Lincoln was introduced to author Harriet Beecher Stowe, he reportedly said that she was “the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.”
Although President Lincoln’s comment wasn’t entirely serious, Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was instrumental in abolishing slavery in the US. Its graphic depiction of racism and the injustice of slavery helped lead to the start of civil war. Ultimately, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declared that all slaves “shall be free.” Thus, Stowe’s novel helped to change a nation’s moral compass.
Integrity 101
Officials in Philadelphia were astonished to receive a letter and payment from a motorist who had been given a speeding ticket in 1954. John Gedge, an English tourist, had been visiting the City of Brotherly Love when he was cited for speeding. The penalty was $15, but Gedge forgot about the ticket for almost 52 years until he discovered it in an old coat. “I thought, I’ve got to pay it,” said Gedge, 84, who now lives in a nursing home in East Sussex. “Englishmen pay their debts. My conscience is clear.”
Walk The Walk
The preacher was speaking tongue-in-cheek when he complained, “My wife is absolutely unreasonable. She actually expects me to live everything I preach!” It’s so much easier to tell someone what is right than to practice it personally.
When my son and I play golf together, I can tell him exactly how to play the hole and hit the shots. But my own ability to hit those shots is sadly limited. I suppose this is what is meant when we refer to athletes who “talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.” Anyone can talk a good game, but actually performing well is far more difficult.
Be Present
After 20 children and 6 staff members were murdered in a Connecticut school, the entire nation was stunned that such a horrific thing could happen. Everyone focused on the tragedy and the questions surrounding it: What kind of person would do such a thing, and why? How can we prevent it from happening again? How can we help the survivors? Amid the chaos, an unlikely group moved in and made a difference.
