As a non-Christian growing up, there were a lot of things I had to change when becoming a Christian. My thinking had to change. My behavior had to change. Almost everything I learned to rely on as a non-Christian had to change. Learning to trust God has been a life long pursuit.

One of the most confusing concept most Christians wrestle with is the idea of whether “Fighting” should be part of a believer’s life. There are two major ideas regarding the idea of fighting, and they are very much opposed to each other.

One side of Christian teaching calls believers to be passivits. The idea that all resistance is contrary to Christianity and the teaching of Christ. The other side of the argument believes that fighting is part of the human experience Christian or not. What matters is why. Is it a good cause? Is it standing against evil, etc?

When most of us celebrate Christmas, we often have feelings of tenderness and joy. Even if we had a rough childhood, with a dysfunctional family we can still reflect on Christmas as a special and wonderful time. There’s something about the story of God loving us and sending Jesus that warms us.

For me, my family was anything but normal. Yelling and arguments were the norm so much so that my friends rarely came to my house to play because of my parents. Yet when Christmas came around, my heart would rise with an expectation that something good was coming. I know part of it was wrapped around presents, but it was more than that. I felt God was trying to communicate with me more during that season than at any other time of year. Maybe it was all the Christmas music, maybe it was all the decorations or maybe it really was God trying to get through to me that He was there and He cared about me personally.

Christmas can be a very difficult time of the year for many because once the decorations are all put away, our expectations of good can be overshadowed by the feeling that this was just a fantasy.

As we approach the Christmas season, people get really stressed about money. Can they buy what they need and still purchase things for people they love? Most Americans will rack up a huge debit on their credit cards just for Christmas presents.

Reading in the gospel of John this morning, I am captivated once again at how simple life would be if I just did what God asked of me! 😎

How often do we expect God to supply our wants and needs and yet we fail to follow his instructions listed in black and white. The scriptures provide God’s heart about so many things and yet we go to God in prayer asking if he would provide something all the while not reading the scriptures to see if he already communicated his willingness or the lack thereof. Just because he loves us doesn’t mean he will violate what’s best for us by granting foolish or unwise requests. 

Recently, Sue and I took our two boy grandkids to see the new movie “The Star” and found it so encouraging that I wanted to encourage as many of you who have young kids to make the time and go see it. If you miss it in the theater, buy the DVD.

What I appreciated about the movie was that it not only presented the story of Jesus being born, but presented the story Joseph and Mary embracing their calling in a difficult world.