When something is known to possess worth or value, we seek to honor it, show it, tell others about it, and treasure it for ourselves. Just take one of Apple's latest inventions as an example. Corporate executives, wedding DJ's, high school football players, and stay-at-home moms want to own it and show it off to others. Technology geeks want to do more than just own it - they'll talk about it, write about it, hack it, and buy all sorts of accessories for it. Thieves will break into stores or snatch purses to steal it. Without question, that small metal box of silicon transistors,...
All resources in the category "Sanctification and holiness"
Resources relating to sanctification, sin, holiness, and grace.
Blog entry
Bitterness, forgiveness, and saving faith
Posted on September 22, 2013
The horrors of sin in this present evil age have ensured that we've all been wronged, taken advantage of, used, or manipulated by someone else in our lives. The fleshly mind responds vehemently to accusation, seeks retaliation on those who have wronged us, and ensures as many people as possible know that we've been wronged.
But Paul said: "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)
Paul says that being forgiven by God should shape the way that we deal with others who have wronged us. If Jesus, the...
Blog entry
The iPhone 5, boredom, and the gospel
Posted on September 20, 2012
Apple recently announced their new flagship phone, the iPhone 5. Yes, it's faster, thinner, brighter, and cooler than its predecessors. Every bit of it is meticulously designed to increase productivity, give you more "surf time", and make your friends jealous because your phone has a bigger, clearer screen and can do so many other things that theirs can't.
No matter how much Tim Cook and the folks at Apple tell us how "amazing" their products are, one thing remains true about every one of them - we will eventually be bored with them. The luster of the upgrade...
Article
Finding contentment in riches and poverty
By Josh Hawkins Posted on February 16, 2012
Since the Renaissance and the Enlightenment when numerous scientific discoveries and social advancements were made, Western culture has increasingly been marked by progress, convenience, and abundance. According to the UNU-WIDER study on The World Distribution of Household Wealth from December 2006, America and Europe comprise only 15% of the world's total population yet possess 66% of the world's wealth. Information is accessible at our fingertips or just down the road in a library. We ate breakfast this morning and don't have to worry about where...
Blog entry
The joy of humility
Posted on March 30, 2010
I’ve blogged several times in the past on humility, but I wanted to write about it again today because I am convinced that it is one of the primary things the Lord is highlighting to me personally and to the body of Christ in this season.
So often we just look at humility as going as low as possible, gritting our teeth and pasting a smile on our face as we endure a difficult situation, person, or circumstance. Yes, embracing humility is difficult. There are moments where our pride begins to rise up and say “No! I deserve better! I have better skill! I can say it better! I can...
Blog entry
Wholeheartedness - for today, not just 20 years down the road
Posted on March 11, 2010
As Christians we all know about what Jesus called the "first commandment", found in Matthew 22:37-38:
“Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment.”
(Matthew 22:37-38 NKJV)
These 27 words of Jesus are perhaps the most weighty and most demanding yet the most inviting and invigorating words ever spoken. In them He gives us the only plausible outlook and only foreseeable future if we desire to live in the highest expression He has...
Article
Why do we fast?
By Josh Hawkins Posted on March 1, 2010
Many people across our nation are entering into a 40-day "Daniel" fast starting today, eating no meats or "pleasant food" from March 1st to April 9th. The Lord has given us an invitation to focus our prayers on Matthew 9:38, asking the "Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest", specifically to the college campuses of our nation.
I've been examining my own motives for entering into this fast, specifically related to the posture of my heart and the expectation I have for it. I've come to this major conclusion:
Fasting itself is not what moves God's...
Blog entry
Holiness - the call to pleasure
Posted on October 27, 2009
The picture of someone living a holy life has been skewed and distorted by the devil so much that even those in the church today look at a holy lifestyle as one of boredom, drudgery, and continual frustration in the denial of our flesh. Some “holiness preachers” in their zeal for righteousness have also presented to us an angry God that sits in heaven full of bitterness and wishing that His people could finally “get it right”. Because of this perspective, we believe lies and end up running from God when we encounter our frailty instead of running to Him in the midst of it.
But...
Blog entry
Walking Worthy
Posted on February 2, 2009
We just started our monthly 3-day fast together as a community, and more and more I am discovering God’s wisdom in the “seeming weakness” of prayer. Telling God what He told us to tell Him, skipping a few meals, and spending time reading and praying through the Bible seems like a foolish waste of time to the natural mind. Yet I’m finding that it is truly the pathway to a vibrant heart full of life, peace, and joy.
Today I was reading through Luke’s gospel when I flipped ahead a few pages to Luke 21 and something caught my eye. Jesus said that many would be going through life as...
Blog entry
The smartest Man is also the meekest Man
Posted on January 15, 2009
So often the intellectual smart guy walks around, knowingly or unknowingly, with an orb of unapproachability surrounding them. You know the type. Anyone who would challenge their thinking or even ask a simple question is surely going to walk away feeling intimidated, their brain having been run through a wringer. But what was it about Jesus – the smartest Man that has ever lived – that made Him so approachable?
Meekness.
The height of God’s beauty is found in His meekness. There is nothing more attractive than meekness. Jesus perfectly displayed the riches of...
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