It is simply not possible to argue for gay relationships from the Bible. Attempts by some church leaders to do so inevitably involve twisting some texts and ignoring others. God’s word is, in fact, clear. The Bible consistently prohibits any sexual activity outside of marriage.
As someone who experiences homosexual feelings this is not always an easy word to hear. It has sometimes been very painful to come to terms with what the Bible says. There have been times of acute temptation and longing – times when I have been ‘in love’. And yet Scripture shows that these longings are distortions of what God has created me for.
You hear the conversations about promotions at work and advanced degrees, and you are so proud of your friends. They are accomplishing great things, and advancing up the corporate ladder in a world that equates such with true success. Meanwhile, you are painting a multi-colored birdhouse with finger paints (with not so much as a hair out of place), and are making an eternal difference. Those 20 minutes spent finding Waldo, coupled with yet another trip to the dentist? Your 4-year-old may never remember them specifically, but he’ll never forget that mom was always there.
Why are Preachers so Fat? – Part #2
This view is common. We live in a world where the outside reflects the inside; whether buildings, houses or people. We are taught “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but we all do. We let the outside appearance take precedence over the inside. For instance, take an overweight preacher preaching on gluttony, how would that be felt by the hearers? Or how about an overweight preacher preaching on gluttony and then going to an all you can eat buffet for lunch? It happens.
I think that we may sometimes forget that we are chosen by God. We forget our state when God chose us, and what dynamic changes He made in our lives when we accepted Him into our lives.
Most of us know what it means to not be chosen … to be left out … to feel that we are not good enough. Many people feel that way about church, and about God. Not good enough. But the truth is that God has chosen you – with full knowledge of who you are!
Royal … Holy … Belonging … that’s how God sees you.
Don’t Waste Their Time! – Your Communication Tip of the Day
Think about such full engagement happening to this audience, on this day, during your presentation. When you arrive, look your audience in the eye, and “be fully present,” with an attitude of “this will not be a waste of your time.” Make this promise in your very demeanor to your audience: “These next moments together will absolutely be worth the investment of your time.”
Rescuing drowning children: How to know when someone is in trouble in the water
The Instinctive Drowning Response—so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the No. 2 cause of accidental death in children, ages 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents)—of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In some of those drownings, the adult will actually watch the child do it, having no idea it is happening.* Drowning does not look like drowning
Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates a Different Way to Lead Singing
Not that I expect our songworship leaders to take this up … but wouldn’t it be cool?
The NBA’s most successful franchise reveals that America is a nation of hypocrites
There’s a reason that Bridezillas is a show and there’s nothing called Reasonably Well-Planned Wedding Enjoyed by All. Americans don’t want excellence, and we certainly don’t want long-term sustained excellence. We want our dynasties to come with a side order of drama, controversy, and bad behavior. We want anti-heroes and the occasional impulsive retirement to pursue a baseball career. We want to watch a train wreck and then tut-tut in a smug self-satisfied way about the irresponsibility of the people who caused it. We want to maintain our high ideals, without needing to walk the walk. Nobody can hate the Spurs, so nobody wants to love them. It’s more comfortable for everyone if we can just pretend they don’t exist.
Thanks for the mention, Tim!