Patience: A Long View
We are called to a life characterized by patience. Yet when asked to give an account for our patience, many of us hang our head in shame. Oh boy, we might say to ourselves, I was too short with that employee. I got angry at that motorist. I’m frustrated with my spouse. I’m exasperated by …
in Men
The Compelling Community
4000 years ago, men gathered together on the plain of Shinar to build a name for themselves (Gen 11:2). With extraordinary effort, vision, and organization they moved a breath-taking project forward – a tower that would reach the heavens (vs 4). Few things serve as a better catalyst for men getting together as does a …
Stewarding our Sexuality Podcast Episodes
Stewarding our Sexuality (Part 1 of 2):We live in a sexually sensual culture. No doubt about it. And it impacts all of us, irrespective of age, gender and marital status. All the more reason we need to be good stewards of our sexuality. In this episode Katie and Arlan Miller along with Matt tackle this …
What Are Spiritual Disciplines?
Every endeavor has basic skills that support the success of the effort. For example, tying rope-climbing knots is a basic skill for rock climbing. Study skills are rudimentary for a student. These basic skills are sometimes called disciplines. They are practices from which success springs. The Christian life has disciplines which must be learned. The …
Spiritual Disciplines: How to Read the Bible?
There are many “how-to’s” when it comes to reading the Bible including things like: word studies, memorization, reading large chunks of scripture to get the overarching flow of a passage, diving deep into specific verses, structured Bible studies and so on. No matter which specific “how-to” you engage, there are two things that will need …
Spiritual Disciplines: Why Read the Bible?
What we do is certainly important but why we do it is even more important. It can be helpful to step back and ask yourself, “why do I read the Bible?” Doing the right behavior is important but the “why” we engage specific actions is what gives sustaining life and energy to those behaviors. For …
Spiritual Disciplines: The Big Picture of the Bible
Coming to the scriptures without background knowledge has some advantages because you might be better able to read the scriptures for what they say without preconceived ideas. However, without understanding the larger storyline of the passage/s you are reading, the Bible can quickly become confusing. In some ways it is like looking at one piece …
Spiritual Disciplines: How to Pray?
In Luke 11 the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray. It is comforting to think the disciples needed to learn how to pray too. As we walk with Christ, we are to grow in His likeness. This is the process of sanctification where we are learning and growing as we read the Word, …
Spiritual Disciplines: Why Pray?
Prayer, like many Spiritual Disciplines, is difficult to engage without it becoming a task to check off the list rather than a discipline which changes us, connects us to the Lord and affects the world. For this reason, it is important to remind ourselves of what we are doing and why we do it. At …
Spiritual Disciplines: What is Prayer?
In the beginning of creation, God directly interacted with man. Genesis paints a picture of God and Man in close communion. The picture then shifts after man rebels against God in disobedience. God in His mercy continues to love and provide for man but sin affects their relationship. Where once there was communion between God …