Early in our lives, we don’t know our limitations. Experience has a way of teaching us what we can’t do as well as what we can if we strive for understanding. If we are fortunate, when we are young, we have people cheering us on, though some have struggles from the beginning. The point is that we all have to determine whether to let life’s ups and downs control our future or whether we will reach for the understanding that will unlock the potential and purpose that we were created for.

Coming to Jesus in 1969 I understood that becoming a Christ follower was serious business and that’s why I resisted becoming a Christian for some time. You may ask how long I resisted and probably I would have to say all my life, though I didn’t realize it at the time.  Sometime we resist the “Presentation” of Christianity and of Christ. We call this religion. This happens when we color the meaning of Jesus’ words and life to suit our motives or lifestyle. In truth, this representation is a counterfeit though the people in it don’t see it that way.

Have you ever wondered why God seems to bless others more than you? At times, I know I do. Sometimes it seems I put more effort and heart into seeking God than those around me yet they seem to get more blessings.  They seem to get more from reading scripture, more from being generous, more from prayer and just about any other Christian discipline.

Life has a way of challenging our ability to not only navigate but also manage life events. All of us desire a life that’s free of trial or at least with limited conflict or trouble. What we discover in life are troubles all around us, and it’s our job to learn to navigate through those challenges the best we can. We soon discover that often the challenges that come our way are bigger than our abilities. We either learn to discover the knowledge and wisdom that we need or we suffer for it. These troubles should encourage us to pursue knowledge and wisdom outside of ourselves before crisis or challenge come our way, but all too often we are not taught at a young age to do so. The basic principles of development are often very hard to correct through learning when someone is older. I know this by experience!

Reading through the Psalms, I find great encouragement in discovering how King David related to God. We need to read and investigate how others have followed God, and even more importantly, how God defined their relationship.

Have you ever wondered why our leaders created holidays to celebrate in America?

As a child, a holiday usually meant being out of school, or getting special presents like during Christmas and Easter. Once we became adults, we are supposed to become mature in our thinking and reflecting. Holidays were meant to honor things we value, and the sacrifice the others have made. Unfortunately,  as kids, many of the adults in our lives failed to sit down with us and explain each holiday and why people set that day aside to reflect on.

Have you ever been surprised by what comes out of your mouth or what comes out of the mouth of others? It seems we all make the mistake of talking before we think. The question is why? Why do people embrace themselves, and for that fact, why do we embrace ourselves by speaking things that are not factual or down right lies?

In our fast paced culture, there are so many voices literally screaming for our attention and trying to get us to believe and follow their advice. The problem is, how do we know which one is right? And are they right all the time? Take binoculars for instance. These devises are great and important when trying to see details from far away, but they are terrible if you’re trying to take a splinter out of your hand!

I recently read a great article on “Medical Myths“.  It profiled health practitioners advocating certain remedies for particular illnesses.  However, as opposed to providing answers or pointing to to potential cures, they concentrated on “masking” the symptoms.

You may be wondering why a bible teacher would be reading a medical article journal article, but it’s really simple.  In life there are so many parallels.  Both natural and spiritual.  Often you can find something in one area that correlates to another, and that discovery opens up our understanding about life and the answers we seek.

Have you ever noticed how we seem as a culture to have no brakes on our mouths?

Not too many years ago, we debated issues and ideas. Now we slam anyone’s character when they don’t agree with everything we think is important. Instead of addressing the idea or topic, we think the only way to win an argument is to make the person we are talking about appear small or insignificant.