Posts with the tag “faith”

Most of us know what it is like to feel confident about following Christ in one setting and hesitant in another. It may be easy to speak about our faith at church, but much harder around a skeptical coworker. We may genuinely want to help someone who is struggling but hesitate because getting involved could become complicated. We may know that we need to forgive, speak the truth, serve, or share the gospel, yet fear begins asking, “What will this cost me? What if they reject me? What if this becomes uncomfortable?” It seems that Timothy knew something about that struggle.  Read More

For the past several weeks, we have been working through the marks of spiritual maturity in a sermon series titled "Growing in Christ." Part of that series has entailed a lot of discussion about what it means to be holy or godly in the Christian life. My aim for this blog today is to reinforce some of those truths.  Read More

The story of Gideon in Judges 6 often captivates believers because of his "fleece test" to confirm God’s will. Gideon asked God for a miraculous sign, first for the fleece to be wet and the ground dry, and then the opposite, to confirm that God had indeed called him to deliver Israel from Midianite oppression. While this story reveals God’s patience and grace, using it as a model for decision-making today is misguided for Christians who have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  Read More

       Augustine. Confessions. Translated by Henry Chadwick. Oxford: Oxford Press, 1998.          Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) made many contributions to Christian theology and literature, earning him status as one of the most influential fathers in the Western Church (both Catholic and Protestant).  For much of his early life, he followed the false beliefs and teachings of Manichaeism.  After ...  Read More