HOKMA is the Hebrew word for wisdom
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. (Psalm 130:5) What is the difference between expectation and presumption? As we consider the condition of our heart, where is the line between these two postures of the soul? First, the similarities: both begin with a promise from … Read more
DISCOVER is the perfect word to describe what it means to go after God’s call in your life! When you make his plan a priority, an unexpected adventure awaits. One where you’ll What will his call look like? First: God’s call in your life is INTENTIONAL. Now when David had served God’s purpose in his … Read more
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry … Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…” (Luke … Read more
“LORD Jesus, I come to you. I am tired and overwhelmed. I’m at the end of my rope; I cannot continue on my own. I accept your yoke, I give you control over the direction and pace of my life. Teach me, Great Teacher! I need more truth and wisdom in my life. Make me … Read more
Jesus warns us about the thorns in life that keep us from following him and being blessed. The thorns are self-inflicted; we choose them. We are responsible for the thorns; they are not situations that happen to us. Jesus specifically mentions three kinds of thorns (although anything that keeps us from following him is a … Read more
Did you know that God uses other people to build your faith? In fact, if you feel like you have stalled out spiritually. This could be due to the fact that you don’t have the right people in your life. Here’s the truth: we need each other to grow spiritually. This isn’t a comfortable faith … Read more
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:19–20) What is the connection between listening, speaking, and anger? Although it’s mentioned last, let’s start with a quick look at anger. Most people work hard to avoid expressing … Read more
“I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16) Everything belongs to God, but some people “especially” belong to him. The distinction is found in a person’s response to Jesus. He died for everyone (even the people we don’t like!), but not everyone accepts his free gift of salvation. For … Read more
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15) Jesus was the promised Messiah, the incarnated Son of God, and the Savior of the world. We are the sinners, those who need saving. This teaching is not just the starting line for faith. … Read more
“Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.” (1 Timothy 1:4) Ideas are important. They determine how we feel, think, speak, and act. When we promote the wrong ideas, not only is unity threatened, but we also don’t accomplish anything worthwhile. (Truth is, there’s enough controversy when we focus on … Read more
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God” (1 Timothy 1:1) Paul’s calling as an apostle was based on the command of God. While the position of “apostle” was extremely unique, his mission wasn’t any more important than the rest of us non-apostles. Everyone who follows Jesus has a mission; it’s a … Read more
I really liked The Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress. It was thoughtful and funny–a great combination! It was an allegory, and I usually rather hear the ideas because that’s much faster than a story. That being said, I recommend this book! The book was filled with a ton of great ideas–challenges, reminders, and encouragements. The book has … Read more
Reflections from Proverbs 28:26: Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. THOSE WHO…BUT According to the sandbox created by this proverb, there are two kinds of people. Naturally, life is more complicated! Oversimplification has value as a tool for instruction. We need to start with the … Read more
“My soul is overwhelmed to the point of death” (Mark 14:34) I don’t understand the mystery of Jesus being overwhelmed. Jesus was both man and God! How could he get overwhelmed? It doesn’t make sense to me. I get overwhelmed because my power and knowledge are (severely) limited. God is can’t be overwhelmed because his … Read more
Questions are good, they can lead to greater understanding. This is an essential skill for reading Scripture to hear God speak. Unfortunately, asking questions isn’t a habit for many people. Why not? First, they lead to hard work. The path of least resistance often bypasses questions. Additionally, asking a question requires a measure of humility—most … Read more