Hope, with a splash of romance.
When I came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, it wasn’t because someone told me that sleeping around, drinking, and having an abortion was wrong. In fact, the people who told me that are the ones who drove me away from church.
The message I received was, “Stop sinning and trust Jesus so He can love you.”
We want them to know about Jesus and about the holiness of God, but the idea that they will be as welcome in the church and in the kingdom of God as we are? Nope. They shouldn’t get off that easy after what they’ve done!
While we are both fairly adept at meeting these needs when we are at home, I recently came to realize they were causing some mismanaged expectations during our Quality Time moments.
It all comes down to defining what “Quality” is to Robert verses what it means to me.
It’s Friday, but today started out more like a Monday. I slept horribly, with heartburn most of the night, and bad dreams the rest. I woke…
We must stop condemning and judging people and groups of people who want nothing to do with Jesus. To be honest, they probably have good reasons for why they don’t want to hear it. Our job isn’t to make it worse, our job is to remember why Jesus came in the first place.
Music has always been a direct line into the deepest parts of me. When a song or a lyric connect with me, there are moments when God’s voice inside me is louder and clearer than at any other time of prayer or study.
I now live my life FROM acceptance, not in pursuit of it, and that changes EVERYTHING. It is a foundation that can’t be shaken, altered, or taken away from me. I don’t do things so that God will love me or love me more. I do what I do BECAUSE God loves me, and because I love Him, I want to please Him. I don’t have to please Him so He will love me.
Best Friends. Dads. Husbands.
Christian.
From the moment they met at the batting cages, Michael Casio and Sam Jones have been best friends.
When his feelings for Sam developed into something that conflicted with his strict Christian upbringing, Michael fled the state hoping the forbidden attraction would go away.
Sam was sure he’d lost his friend for good and did his best to move on. But when Michael came home willing to risk it all, they discovered a love neither of them would have imagined possible.
Their life seems perfect until a series of events leads them to Cornerstone Community Church, where they have an encounter with God and His love changes everything.
My perspective has changed drastically over the last year, because I have learned to enjoy the process and focus on the positive. I have successfully LEARNED, by consistently and intentionally retraining my mind, to look for the good instead of letting the ‘bad’ or inconvenient things stress me out.
The story of Mephibosheth is so encouraging to me. Not just because he was shown mercy by the King who let him keep breathing. Not just because he was brought into the palace. Not just because he was welcomed into the dinning room. Not just because he was seated at the table. Not just because he ate continually at the King’s table –
But because his lameness was never healed.
