bdentzy

thoughts for the journey

Posts Tagged ‘Religion and Spirituality’

Are You Satisfied?

July 30th, 2010

Are you satisfied with your life? Is it all that you want it to be? Do you think it’s all that God would have it to be? Is your life smaller than your ability to live it?

Do you find areas in your life where your focus has been off or where you’ve known what to do but just haven’t been consistent? Have you decided you want to bless others by sharing your life in person? Have you only been giving 50% at work? Are you living an ineffective life without passion?

Have You Been Challenged?

I’m hoping that my recent posts have challenged you. I know they’ve challenged me. And if they haven’t challenged you, I’d challenge you to go ahead and challenge me (that just sounds funny, doesn’t it). I’d appreciate it.

If You’re Not Satisfied

So, let’s assume for a moment that we’re not satisfied with our lives. That God has more for us than we’re living and that we want to step into what God has for us. What should we do?

» Read more: Are You Satisfied?

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Posted in Living Faith

Tags: Christ Christianity Faith God Holy Spirit Jesus Religion and Spirituality

Can God Take Your Life?

July 27th, 2010

I was thinking about this the other day. I hear people talk about those who have died as though their lives were taken from them. I think sometimes people are even mad at God for “taking” a life.

But I wonder, can God take my life? Does God take our lives?

We’ve Already Lost our Lives

It seems to me that we traded away our lives when we entered into sin through Adam and Eve. That our lives were taken from us in a bad trade. That what we have because of sin isn’t really life.

Unless we give our lives to God. Unless we trade our banal, death-bound non-life and trade it for the amazing life that we have in Jesus. And if we have already given God our lives, can they really be taken from us?

What do you think?
Can our lives really be taken from us?
Can your life be taken from you?

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Posted in Faith

Tags: Adam Christianity Christianity for Seekers Evangelism God Jesus Religion and Spirituality sin

Blessings Are More than Money

July 25th, 2010

Think about this for a second – what do you think of when I say “God will bless you?” Do you think of money? Do you think of health or healing?

I suspect that most people hear “God will bless you” as “God will make you rich.” In fact I would go so far as to say that there are probably even some who tithe because we think God will make them rich (of course, you know better than that).

But that misses the point of a blessing. A blessing is when God releases supernatural forces to work in your favor (I “borrowed” this from my pastor). It is a gift from God. It might be a something you’ve asked for and expected. Or God might just totally blow your mind. In fact, I bet God wants to totally blow your mind.

Oh, how we need God’s grace! How we need his perspective when it comes to blessings. I fear that we so often think of blessings only as financial or material.

Money Can’t Buy This

Today I was able to witness one of the biggest blessings I’ve seen in a while. It’s not the kind of blessing that we normally think of, but a blessing none-the-less. In fact, it might be a bigger, more substantial blessing than we would first think. But it was definitely a blessing that money simply can’t buy.

» Read more: Blessings Are More than Money

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Posted in Living Faith

Tags: Baptism blessing Christianity God grace Religion and Spirituality

Share Your Spiritual Journey

July 23rd, 2010

: Image by Stathis Stavrianos (Stathis_1980) via Flickr

Our life in Christ isn’t static. It’s dynamic. It shifts and changes and grows. It’s not a destination, it’s a journey. And it’s a journey that’s meant to be shared. Shared with God and shared with others.

In fact your journey – the ongoing story of your life with Christ – might be one of the most powerful things you have to offer. One of the most irrefutable ways to share your faith. It might just be a way that you can defeat the work of evil in the world (Revelation 12:11).

Why is Your Story Powerful?

It’s YOUR story.
It shows that God is interested in our lives.
It demonstrates God’s faithfulness and grace.
It’s an opportunity to share how you’ve lived so that others can live better than you have.

How Long Should I Wait?

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Posted in Living Faith

Tags: Christianity Evangelism Faith God Jesus Religion and Spirituality

Slave by Choice

July 22nd, 2010

I’ve waited too long to post this. It’s a follow up to Are You a Slave? – a post that I wrote a couple of weeks ago. And it’s a much-needed follow-up.

You see, as a friend of mine – Martina, who blogs here – pointed out, the post was one-sided. And it was one-sided on purpose. The point of the post was that sin has no place in our lives, which is true.

However, as Martina pointed out in her comment, there are a number of God-relationship metaphors provided for us in Scripture – sons & daughters, lovers, servants, and so on. And, as she astutely pointed out, when we use the word “slave” it means something very specific to us.

A Person With No Choice

When we think of a slave, we think of a person who was taken against his or her will and enslaved. A person captured. A person controlled and completely lacking in rights. A person who is not even considered a person.

That, I think, very accurately describes how we lived when we were slaves to sin (or how we live if we are still slaves to sin). We don’t have a choice. It doesn’t really matter what we do – the end is the same. We die.