Easter 8

 I have glossed over the impact of John 13. How do the words of Jesus hit you?  One thought hit me is that our world focuses on acquisition of power, influence over others, and an accumulation of wealth and knowledge. We often calculate comparisons with who has more or who knows more. But there is no scale to measure the depth and length of love. Yet the world has a right to see if we are a hypocrite, or whether we are truly authentic in our faith by the we treat others. I’m guilty of failing so many times but God’s grace gets me to stand up again after falling down. Instead of making attempts to do more ‘for’ God, I’m learning to be ‘with’ His presence, allowing me to experience His working. 

“In John 13 the point was that, if an individual Christian does not show love toward other true Christians, the world has a right to judge that he is not a Christian. Here Jesus is stating something else which is much more cutting, much more profound: We cannot expect the world to believe that the Father sent the Son, that Jesus’ claims are true, and that Christianity is true, unless the world sees some reality of the oneness of true Christians.” - Francis A. Schaeffer, The Mark of the Christian

"If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer: Intercession is a way of loving others." - Richard J. Foster

How Do I View Mh Life? Acts 20:24

Acts 20:24 - “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

How do I view my life at this point?

Many have reached the apex of their career.

Others have accumulated investments that compound beyond imagination. 

Some have power and influence envied by those still climbing to the top.

Yet others feel crushed by burdens, trapped by their past.

Regrets can lead to bitterness and futility.

Resentment can sift into good intentions.

But gratitude is my playbook, thankful for His presence.

My life has been privileged to see blessings beyond what I predicted.

Difficult times could have demoralized and crippled, 

Long standing dysfunctional relationships could have wrecked me. 

Torpedoes unexpected might have demoralized, leaving me in despair.

But His presence has assured His security, His safety, regardless of the chaos.

Some expect problems and find them with ease,

Others seek Him while He searches for those searching.

Can I take credit for my life? 

Is anyone truly self made? 

Transformation of character is not self induced.

The inside out process is a mystery of responding to His call to follow, not to lead.

The secret things of God are not to be understood, 

He has shown us what we need to know, 

It is enough to respond by His wisdom and power.

Understanding the mystery of our decisions matching the opportunities we encounter is impossible. 

Who can understand our infinite Creator as He searches the hearts of those who seek Him?

The idols of our age aren’t golden calves but power, certainty, and control. True faith isn’t found in possessing all the answers but in surrendering to the mystery of a God whose love is always larger than our understanding.

Avoid negativity

Victim ology

Entitlement

Calloused to the Soirit

 “Paul uses a second phrase in Acts 20:24: “my course.” He says, “Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy. . . .” That word course suggests a race with Paul as one of the runners. Paul often used athletic illustrations in his letters, and this is one of them. No doubt he had often seen the athletic games in various Greek cities, and they suggested to him truths about the Christian life.

  No one could compete in the Greek games unless he was a citizen. Well, no one can run in the Christian race unless he is a child of God, a citizen of heaven. When you give your heart to Jesus Christ, He saves you and takes you off that broad road that leads to destruction. He puts you on the narrow road that leads to heaven, and He assigns a track for you on the course. In Philippians 3 and Hebrews 12, God compares the Christian life to a race, and He assigns each Christian runner his own special lane. The important thing is that we obey the rules, keep running for the prize, and stay in the correct lane. ”

“Please don’t measure yourself by some other Christian. Measure yourself by the plan God has for your life, the prize He wants you to win.

  One of the worst things a runner can do is keep looking back. Paul writes in Philippians 3, “Forgetting those things which are behind. . . .” Let’s keep our eyes on the goal; let’s be sure we are running in the lane God has assigned to us. Let the Lord take care of the other runners. Jesus says to us as He did to Peter, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.”

  Paul wanted to finish his course with joy, and he did. We read his words in 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” He was looking forward to seeing the Lord Jesus Christ and sharing in that crown of righteousness. The race would soon be over, and the prize of the high calling would soon be his. One day the race will be over for you and for me. Will we be able to say, “I have finished my course with joy”?

  ”

Excerpt From

Bumps Are What You Climb On

Warren Wiersbe

https://books.apple.com/us/book/bumps-are-what-you-climb-on/id1025051388

This material may be protected by copyright.

Excerpt From

Bumps Are What You Climb On

Warren Wiersbe

https://books.apple.com/us/book/bumps-are-what-you-climb-on/id1025051388

This material may be protected by copyright.

Easter 7

How are many looking in all the wrong places for meaning and purpose?  The pursuit of power, possessions, pleasure, or status can get us distracted. Many become involved in other religions, cults and philosophies. For me, I can chase a rabbit trail that only leads to negativity and cynicism, hitting a wall of frustration. I can easily think that I have everything figured out without trusting in the One who offers life purpose one step at a time. I can make transformation and growth far too complicated when it is so simple in one word - trust. 

“The gospel is not good advice to men, but good news about Christ; not an invitation to us to do anything, but a declaration of what God has done; not a demand, but an offer.” - John Stott, The Message of Galatians 

“How can a person grow in faith hope and love?  Are there common denominators  to everyone and anyone who wants to be spiritually transformed?  Is there a formula or an equation ghat produces maturity?  For me, I’m learning there are no spiritual hacks to rapid growth. Maturity takes time and often involves grief, loss and suffering. As we love others, we walk with them in their crises and we experience our own trauma. Our problems and predicaments may be caused by our sin doing or we can be innocent victims of a perpetrator or a system of malcontent.” - Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline 

Doomscrolling

 Graham Joseph Hill

Doomscrolling is the habit of endlessly scrolling through negative news or distressing social media content, especially during times of crisis or uncertainty.[1] It’s the compulsive consumption of bad news—natural disasters, political unrest, global pandemics, social collapse—often late at night or in moments of anxiety. It feels like staying informed, but it’s frequently driven by fear, helplessness, or a subconscious craving for control.[2] Doomscrolling is digital overexposure to crisis without stillness, prayer, or discernment. It's a habit of looking that forms us, often away from love, presence, and peace.

Doomscrolling is a liturgy in disguise, a ritual of staring into glowing rectangles, searching not for beauty or truth but for some glimmer of control amidst the chaos.[3] It feels like focus, like paying attention, but beneath the surface, it hollows the soul. It promises knowing but delivers numbness. What happens when the act of watching becomes a substitute for the act of praying? How are our souls shaped by the practice of constantly scrolling for information, stimulation, validation, and connection?

There’s space for presence, encounter, and prayer in the silence we avoid. But silence has become unbearable. The crisis is more comfortable than stillness, outrage more familiar than peace, noise more common than silence, and bad news more attention-grabbing than the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.[4] We scroll not because we’re curious but because we’re lonely, anxious, afraid, and addicted. These feeds become temples of false transcendence, where meaning is manufactured, not received. For many people today, searching for news replaces searching for wisdom.

This restless seeking reveals a deeper ache for intimacy, transcendence, grounding, and belonging. Our fingers flick the screen, but our hearts long to touch eternity. The world is chaotic and in crisis, but our souls long for the peace and reassurance of God.

Why do we keep returning to what leaves us more anxious than before? Since the Garden of Eden, humans have traded the peace, love, and security of God’s shalom and presence for the noise, conflict, and anxiety of our egos, ambitions, distractions, rebellions, and distorted desires. The problem is ancient. The solution remains the same. Our only hope is God.

We become what we behold. The gaze forms the soul.[5] If we feed our eyes on disruption, our hearts will mirror the noise. Doomscrolling forms anxious, reactive souls rather than grounded ones. What might it mean to reclaim attention as an act of love, not compulsion?

Easter 6

 I’ve worried that I would be like Peter, All in for Jesus…until life gets difficult and the persecution begins. When push comes to shove, will I stand firm with Him, or will I cut and run?  Will I deny everything I believe to save my own skin?  My arrogance of self sufficiency may crack, but a humility of being loved by my Savior strengthens me.  Listening to shocking stories on the podcast ‘Voice of the Martyrs’, documenting modern ordinary heroes forced under gun point to denounce Christ, gives me courage that I will be loyal to Him. Faith is more than information stored up for the storms of life. Faith is a heart grasping possession to His presence, an allegiance that cannot shake me. 

“Humility, as we all know, is one of those virtues that is never gained by seeking it. The more we pursue it the more distant it becomes. To think we have it is sure evidence that we don't.” - Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline

“I am starting to see there is a difference between “saying prayers” and honest praying. Both can sound the same on the outside, but the former is too often motivated by a sense of obligation and guilt; whereas the latter is motivated by a conviction that I am completely helpless to “do life” on my own. Or in the case of praying for others, that I am completely helpless to help others without the grace and power of God.” - Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World

“The apostle Paul knew that wherever he went there would be trouble and pain and persecution. Some of his friends warned him to protect himself and escape. But the great apostle Paul was not the kind of person who ran away from difficulty or challenge. This is why, in Acts 20:24, he said to his friends, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” - Excerpt, Bumps Are What You Climb On by Warren Wiersbe

Easter 5

 Was Judas impatient with Jesus to begin a revulsion against the Romans?  Did he want something different than the other disciples?  I’m wondering if his frustrations with Jesus came to a boil at the last supper. Even though evil was moving in his heart, this was nut just an impulsive move to turn Jesus in. Pete Briscoe’s comments about us being like Judas - that hit hard!  I do not want to miss what our Triune God is doing in and around me, despite my doubts, distractions and self absorbed moods. 

“The highest glory of the creature is in being only a vessel, to receive and enjoy and show forth the glory of God. It can do this only as it is willing to be nothing in itself, that God may be all. Water always fills first the lowest places. The lower, the emptier a man lies before God, the speedier and the fuller will be the inflow of the diving glory.” - Andrew Murray, Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness

“Even on especially hard days, I began to notice him everywhere, setting a table before me in the presence of my enemies, pursuing me with his love. Both the child and the cynic walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The cynic focuses on the darkness; the child focuses on the Shepherd.” - Paul Miller, A Praying Life: Connecting With God In A Distracting World

I’m 38?

 Today I am 38.

Another year closer to 40.

The messy middle. The in-between.

Not old enough to be a sage,

Not young enough to be seen as high potential.

Young kids, aging parents,

A healthy body getting its first creaks,

A healthy mind forgetting to switch the laundry before bed. 

Gray hairs but not white.

Wrinkles but not many.

Called sir by some and young man by others.

The songs I grew up with

Now play in chain grocery stores.

The slang I once spoke

Now feels dated.

The fashion I wear is now in vintage thrift shops.

My favorite shows are only reruns.

Like a car that hits 100,000 miles

That doesn’t quite accelerate like it used to.

Yet “lots of life left”

As long as you keep up with oil changes.

The messy middle. The in-between.

Another year closer to 40.

Today I am 38.

Easter 4

 How would you and I have reacted in the upper room when Jesus washes the disciples’ feet?  How would you and I respond if someone we admired humbled himself to wash our feet, demonstrating a compassion that shocked us?  It’s difficult to allow ourselves to be loved by another person if we have the mindset to fix others’ problems. It is also hard to love the person that wants to be the ‘I’ll take care of my own problems’ person.  The one thing that hits me as we prepare for our Easter celebration, is that I’m so guilty of not allowing myself to be loved, as His Beloved child. I’m guilty of sticking to my agenda, not looking for who God has placed in my path. 

“The sooner I learn to forget myself in the desire that He may be glorified, the richer will be the blessing that prayer will bring to myself. No one ever loses by what he sacrifices to the Father.” - Andrew Murray

“As we wait and pray, God weaves his story and creates a wonder. Instead of drifting between comedy (denial) and tragedy (reality), we have a relationship with the living God, who is intimately involved with the details of our worlds. We are learning to watch for the story to unfold, to wait for the wonder.” - Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life

Easter 3

 How is humility viewed in our culture?  I’m guilty of telling former students to build their resume, create a platform of character to promote themselves for scholarships or a career. Something happens with this mindset that reduces a humble, dependent life on our Great Shepherd. In the process of career advancement and we often forget that we may need to begin small, or serve others in humility. Following Christ involves loving others behind the scene without being noticed. 

“Humility is a perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.”  “As natural and easy as it is to be proud, it must become natural for us to be humble.” ― Andrew Murray

“The very first step to becoming a follower of Jesus Christ is the humble admission that we need him. Nothing keeps us out of the kingdom of God more surely than our pride and self-sufficiency.” - John R.W. Stott, Why I Am a Christian

Easter 2

 What would it have been like to be in the corner of the room, observing Jesus and the disciples at the Last Supper?  Celebrating Passover had and has a rich historical weight to it.  The disciples were experiencing the fulfillment of what had been predicted for centuries, in the presence of the One who was and is the fulfillment of all that hope. How can we encourage each other to worship like we never have before?

“Many people visualize a God who sits comfortably on a distant throne, remote, aloof, uninterested, and indifferent to the needs of mortals, until, it may be, they can badger him into taking action on their behalf. Such a view is wholly false. The Bible reveals a God who, long before it even occurs to man to turn to him, while man is still lost in darkness and sunk in sin, takes the initiative, rises from his throne, lays aside his glory, and stoops to seek until he finds him.” - John R.W. Stott, Basic Christianity

“Today the heart of God is an open wound of love. He aches over our distance and preoccupation. He mourns that we do not draw near to him. He grieves that we have forgotten him. He weeps over our obsession with muchness and manyness. He longs for our presence.” - Excerpt, Prayer, by Richard Foster

Easter 1

 I do not want to let this Easter pass with a minimal appreciation for what took place. It’s so easy to get caught up in the cultural moments, the tyranny of what needs to be done. What are you doing to prepare yourself to worship the One who offers hope and direction?  Those that were present at the crucifixion watched the crowds get out of hand, yet there were a few who understood what was happening. As we prepare ourselves for worship, may we be humble, asking Gods yo show us Hos kingdom and His righteousness. 

“Like a child taking first steps we are learning through success and failure, confident that we have a present Teacher who, through the Holy Spirit, will guide us into all truth. In this way we come to understand what Paul means when he instructs us to “walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4).” - Richard Foster, Celebration of the Disciplines

“Why is it that some Christians cross land and sea, continents and cultures, as missionaries? What on earth impels them? It is not in order to commend a civilization, an institution or an ideology, but rather a person, Jesus Christ, whom they believe to be unique.” - John Stott

Proverbs 25

 Solomon wasn't just writing cute sayings for your refrigerator magnet. He was crafting spiritual depth charges designed to explode beneath the surface of your complacency.

Let that sink in before you skim another chapter of Scripture like it's the back of a cereal box.

Most Christians treat Proverbs like spiritual fortune cookies—crack one open, read the message, then toss it aside while reaching for another helping of whatever's really feeding their soul.

But Solomon's words aren't disposable wisdom. They're divine scalpels, cutting through your carefully constructed religious façade to expose what's truly festering underneath.

Verse 2: GOD DELIBERATELY HIDES WHAT YOU DESPERATELY NEED

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter."

This verse should terrify you.

God intentionally hides truth. He deliberately conceals wisdom. Not because He's cruel, but because He knows what shallow consumers we've become.

Everything in modern life is pre-packaged, pre-digested, and immediately accessible. Push a button, get a result. Ask a question, get an answer. Want entertainment? A thousand options await.

And then God—the infinite Creator—says: "I'm hiding the most valuable treasures where only the desperate will find them."

This isn't a divine Easter egg hunt. It's spiritual warfare.

Deuteronomy 29:29 warns us: "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God..." Some things God keeps for Himself. But the second half promises: "...those things which are revealed belong unto us."

God conceals to reveal who's truly seeking Him. He hides wisdom to expose which of us will actually *dig* for it.

Are you mining Scripture like your life depends on it? Or are you skimming verses like social media posts, looking for something that triggers a fleeting emotional response?

Be honest.

Verses 4-5: YOUR COMFORT IS THE DROSS GOD IS BURNING AWAY

"Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer..."

Metal doesn't purify itself. It must be subjected to merciless heat.

Leadership doesn't purify itself either. Wickedness must be ruthlessly purged before anything of value emerges.

And you wonder why God keeps turning up the temperature in your life?

The refiner isn't satisfied until He can see His reflection in the molten silver. Until your life clearly reflects Christ, expect the heat to continue.

Your trials aren't random accidents. They're targeted refining operations. God is systematically burning away your pride, your self-sufficiency, your comfort idols, and your spiritual laziness.

He's not interested in your happiness. He's obsessed with your holiness.

Verse 11: YOUR WORDS REVEAL YOUR SPIRITUAL MATURITY

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."

We live in an age of verbal incontinence. Social media has trained us to spew every half-formed thought into the digital void. We vomit opinions without reflection and wonder why our relationships are toxic.

Solomon presents the opposite: speech that's carefully crafted, perfectly timed, and beautifully delivered.

James 3:17 doesn't mince words: "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle..."

Your mouth is broadcasting your spiritual condition. Every word. Every text. Every post.

Are you speaking golden apples set in silver frames? Or are you just another voice in the cacophony of outrage, gossip, and banality?

Your words aren't just communication. They're evidence.

Verse 14: YOUR SPIRITUAL PERSONA IS BEING EXPOSED

"Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain."

The modern church is drowning in spiritual frauds. They make grand promises. They project impressive spirituality. They talk endlessly about what God is "showing them."

And they deliver nothing of substance.

Jesus wasn't ambiguous: "By their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20).

Not by their Instagram aesthetics.

Not by their conference appearances.

Not by their book deals.

Not by their podcast downloads.

By their actual, tangible, measurable fruit.

Are you a storm cloud without rain? Impressive from a distance but disappointing up close? Full of promise but empty of power?

The drought-stricken farmer doesn't need more clouds. He needs water.

A spiritually dying world doesn't need more religious performance. It needs Christ flowing through broken, authentic vessels.

Verses 21-22: YOUR ENEMIES REVEAL YOUR CHRISTLIKENESS

"If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat..."

This verse should make you squirm.

It's not suggesting you politely tolerate your enemies or maintain a grudging civility. It's commanding you to actively, tangibly love them.

Paul repeated this radical ethic in Romans 12:20 for a reason. It's the ultimate litmus test of spiritual authenticity.

Anyone can love those who love them back. Anyone can serve those who appreciate it. Anyone can forgive those who've earned it.

But feeding your enemy? Serving someone who's actively harming you?

That's supernatural. That's Christ-like. That's the opposite of everything your flesh demands.

And most Christians are perfectly content to ignore this command while obsessing over other people's sins.

Verse 28: YOUR SELF-CONTROL DETERMINES YOUR SPIRITUAL SURVIVABILITY

"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls."

This final verse delivers a devastating verdict.

In ancient times, a city without walls was utterly vulnerable. Exposed. Defenseless. One raid away from annihilation.

That's you when you lack self-control.

No matter how biblical your theology...

No matter how impressive your spiritual gifts...

No matter how vast your biblical knowledge...

If you can't control your temper, your appetites, your tongue, or your impulses, your spiritual life is an unguarded city awaiting destruction.

Self-control isn't a personality trait for the naturally disciplined. It's spiritual armor for survival.

The strongest Christians aren't those with the most followers. They're those with the strongest grip on their own spirits.

THE VERDICT IS IN

Proverbs 25 isn't offering you cute advice for better living.

It's exposing your shallow spiritual mining.

It's revealing your resistance to God's refining process.

It's highlighting your impulsive, unfiltered speech.

It's unmasking your performative spirituality.

It's challenging your convenient definition of love.

It's diagnosing your dangerous lack of self-control.

Solomon's words aren't here to make you feel better. They're here to make you better.

The question isn't whether you've read this chapter.

It's whether you'll let it read you.

THE WAR FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL AUTHENTICITY WON'T BE WON BY ACCIDENT

At Biblical Man, we're building a brotherhood of believers who refuse to settle for the anemic, performance-based Christianity that's become America's spiritual default mode.

Real Transformation

 Christopher Cook

Surrender, Not Striving, Leads to Life

Growth does not come through striving. It comes through surrender.

Not passive resignation, not apathy, but the active, willful yielding to the refining work of the Spirit. It is pressing through the discomfort, enduring the pruning, refusing to bow to emotions that whisper, “Turn back.”

Feelings will tell you to go back. Faith must tell you to keep moving forward. Because when the Lord prunes, it is never to diminish. It is to increase. In John 15:2 (ESV), Jesus said, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” What feels like loss is actually preparation for fruitfulness.

And yet, even in the cutting, even in the breaking, the presence of the Lord is near. 

The wilderness does not mean He has abandoned you. The silence does not mean He is absent. He is near to the brokenhearted (See Psalm 34:18, NKJV). He is working even when you cannot perceive it.

Your lack of clarity does not indicate His lack of faithfulness. If you only follow when you understand, it is not faith you are walking by—it is sight. The call to transformation has never been about clarity. It has always been about trust.

Your lack of clarity does not indicate His lack of faithfulness.

Resurrection Always Comes

Too many assume that if growth is painful, they must be doing something wrong. But transformation has always required pruning. It has always required surrender. And it has always required perseverance.

So if you feel like you are losing something right now, if you feel the ache of release, if you feel the tension of letting go, do not mistake the breaking for abandonment. Do not mistake the pruning for punishment. This is what the hand of the Lord does—He removes what is lesser so that He might give what is greater.

Because yes, growth feels like death before it feels like life. But resurrection always comes. The only question is whether you will surrender to the process or resist the call.

Will you yield? Will you lay down what you have clung to? Will you press through the discomfort and trust the hand of God, even when it leads you through the valley before the mountaintop? Will you move forward, not just in theory and not just in desire, but in action, in faith, and in obedience?

Because the upward call of Christ is before you. The call to mature sonship is here. And though it may feel like death now, it leads only to life for the glory of the Lord.

So…will you say “yes”?

For a more in-depth exploration of this subject, I invite you to check out my book, Healing What You Can’t Erase.

1 John 47

 Can we actually recognize all of today’s false gods, idols, twisting theologies and philosophies?  As we pursue happiness in our culture, it seems like many are unhappy, negative and cynical. For me I have extended family members that are looking in all the wrong places for their happiness and self satisfaction  there is a refusal to be humble enough to admit helplessness and the need for the King of kings.  But even more, I’m finding new layers of self sufficiency and being judgmental in my own heart.  My own illusions of building my own kingdom need dismantled.  

“God is a person, and his universe reflects his personhood. The closer something is to the character of God, the more it reflects him and the less it can be measured. Things such as integrity, beauty, hope, and love are all in the same category as prayer. You can tell their presence and even describe them, but you can't define them, simply because they are too close to God's image.” - Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life

“The world boasts of its enlightenment, but a Christian walks in the real light because God is light. The world talks about love, but it knows nothing of the real love that a Christian experiences because “God is love.” The world displays its wisdom and learning, but a Christian lives in truth because “the Spirit is truth.” God is light, love, and truth, and these together make a life that is real.” - Excerpt, Be Real (1 John) by Warren W. Wiersbe

I’m learning to follow

Following Christ In A Chaotic World, 

Not the textbook kind.

The real kind—the kind that presents risk, fear, and doubt.

The kind that may keep you up at night.

The kind that may lead into the wilderness with no familiar surroundings.

Following Christ is an expectation that the unexpected will happen, 

Out of the ordinary on an ordinary day.

Following Him is hearing with acute listening skills,

Knowing His voice, convinced of moving one step at a time,

Filtering out the needless chatter and noise, 

At times being comfortable with silence, waiting for the next nudge.

This journey has the promise of His presence, 

Never to be alone or abandoned.

Following Christ is a never ending conversation

Talking all things out to the One who is with me.

Self oriented praying, talking about my issues, is awkward and embarrassing, 

Yet develops into a bigger view of what He is doing.

He has promised to be present and will NEVER leave me abandoned.

Even when I feel like I’m at the end of my rope.

Following Christ is practicing what helps,

Revising my rhythm to leave behind what doesn’t.

Searching for His lead, His voice, His wisdom,

Even in the silence, empowers me to become someone new.

In the transition, I learn to embrace what I do not understand,

Trusting what I’ve been shown, grasping that I’m His beloved. 

I’m learning that my story is not about me,

But about His glory, His fame, His love being known.

Learning to ‘be loved’ by my Creator creates a new identity,

Different than my family or cultural roots.

Following this path is counter the norm.

Preparing for tomorrow ismore than power or possessions. 

Planning, planting, stirring the soil, is watering and nurturing what I’ve been given, 

Without calculating comparisons or documenting equations.

My search for Him is matched with His search for me.

He is always waiting, relaxed, a true Gentleman. 

Traveling this road is a search for like minded sojourners,

Encouraging others to know His voice, trusting His words.

This well worn road involves walking alone at times,

Being a skeptic of those want to be a celebrity,

Refusing to bend to cynics and critics,

Knowing that persecution may cost what I didn’t expect,

Shunned, ignored or losing what others think is valuable.

Pursuing Him involves proclaiming Him, inviting others to join,

Training them to join a  life long apprenticeship.

Choosing this road is a quiet conviction of His choosing,

A paradox of my efforts and His leading,

Apart from I can do nothing,

Without my effort and search, I cannot be a part of Him

Flashbacks to what was or might have been,

Are no longer regrets.

Marched by leaving behind the guilt, shame or condemnation in of what was, 

As I take more steps, I distance myself from those who care about medals, rewards, earnings or trophies of the here and now.

Guilt and shame do not negotiate a better pathway. 

They accuse and condemn, slowing and delaying the journey.

The further I travel, I still sense a wilderness with no map, 

Empowering me to trust what He has taught.

Still a child, yearning for safety and Home,

My hope becomes a fire inside.

My faith is defined by an allegiance and loyalty to His presence, 

Discerning what does not reflect His character of love and forgiveness.

The reality of His kingdom is filled with risk,

Challenging my old way of thinking, creating desire for what is not yet.

The here and now can be raw, embattled, with hurts, wounds, 

Seemingly alone, but surrounded with Him by my side.

Progress on this path has no clipboards or ledgers,

No checklists, or formulas.

But an assurance of His love, His courage, and input.

Traveling this path is not measuring my progress or advancement, 

Only a privilege of being invited to see and hear what His kingdom is all about  

And maybe your war didn’t look like mine.

Maybe yours was a childhood no one protected.

A relationship that bled you dry.

An addiction that whispered lies until you believed them.

But the wound?

The wound feels the same.

It’s raw.

It’s real.

And it haunts you.

Let me tell you something that took me years to understand:

Jesus isn’t afraid of that wound.

He’s not waiting for you to clean it up.

He’s not standing on the sidelines with a clipboard, judging your scars.

He’s the kind of Savior who walks into the mess—

blood, dirt, tears and all—

and says, “I’ve been here too.”

This series won’t be neat and tidy.

It won’t offer quick fixes or religious clichés.

It’ll be real—because healing starts there.

This is Part 1: The Wound.

Next comes Part 2: The War Within.

Then we’ll close with Part 3: The Healer.

But for now, sit with this truth:

You’re not alone.

And your wound doesn’t disqualify you.

It just means you’re human…

and maybe, just maybe,

you're the kind of person Jesus came running for.

You know.

You know me.

You know my fears, my hopes, my dreams.

You know my coming in and my going out.

You know the number of hairs on my head,

cells in my body,

neural pathways tangled like ivy—

still, you know the way.

You know the prayers I forget to pray,

the words I swallow,

the weight I carry in silence.

You know the ache beneath my laughter,

the longing stitched in every breath.

You know where I’ve come from.

You know where I’m going.

You know when I run,

and you stay.

You know me—

before I knew myself,

before I was breath and bone.

You know.

You know me.

Trauma Wound 1

 JB Devo

This is the beginning of a 3-part series on trauma.

Not the textbook kind.

The real kind—the kind that sits heavy in your chest long after the moment has passed.

The kind that keeps you up at night.

This is for the ones still bleeding on the inside.

If that’s you, I want you to know something before we go any further:

You’re not alone.

You don’t forget the first time something breaks inside you.

Maybe it was a blast.

Maybe it was betrayal.

Maybe it was the sound of dirt hitting a coffin lid while your heart begged God to wake you up.

Trauma doesn’t knock.

It kicks the door in and sets up camp in your soul like it owns the place.

And suddenly you’re not you anymore.

You're just a shadow of the person you used to be,

gripping a smile so people don’t ask too many questions.

But inside?

Inside, you’re screaming.

I’ve seen war.

Smelled death.

Held a man’s last breath in my hands and told him he was going to be okay when I knew he wasn’t.

I’ve walked off the battlefield only to find another one waiting at home.

The silence.

The flashbacks.

The guilt that doesn’t care what medals you have or what you meant to do.

Guilt doesn’t negotiate. It accuses.

And maybe your war didn’t look like mine.

Maybe yours was a childhood no one protected.

A relationship that bled you dry.

An addiction that whispered lies until you believed them.

But the wound?

The wound feels the same.

It’s raw.

It’s real.

And it haunts you.

Let me tell you something that took me years to understand:

Jesus isn’t afraid of that wound.

He’s not waiting for you to clean it up.

He’s not standing on the sidelines with a clipboard, judging your scars.

He’s the kind of Savior who walks into the mess—

blood, dirt, tears and all—

and says, “I’ve been here too.”

This series won’t be neat and tidy.

It won’t offer quick fixes or religious clichés.

It’ll be real—because healing starts there.

This is Part 1: The Wound.

Next comes Part 2: The War Within.

Then we’ll close with Part 3: The Healer.

But for now, sit with this truth:

You’re not alone.

And your wound doesn’t disqualify you.

It just means you’re human…

and maybe, just maybe,

you're the kind of person Jesus came running for.

1 John 46

 Can you fake the lifestyle of a Christ follower?  The apostles were familiar with idols that were thought to have some power over life, as long as you performed or paid your dues. Is any different today?  What fake religious ideas and idols do we think will get us farther in life?  How could a person attend church their entire life yet miss the need to be transformed from the inside out?  I’m relearning the truth that reality of following Christ is a process of character change, that is often in conflict with putting on a fake face that I have it all figured out. 

“Prayer requires that we stand in God’s presence with open hands, naked and vulnerable, proclaiming to ourselves and to others that without God we can do nothing. This is difficult in a climate where the predominant counsel is “Do your best and God will do the rest.” When life is divided into “our best” and “God’s rest,” we have turned prayer into a last resort to be used only when all our resources are depleted. Then even the Lord has become the victim of our impatience. Discipleship does not mean to use God when we can no longer function ourselves. On the contrary, it means to recognize that we can do nothing at all, but that God can do everything through us. As disciples, we find not some but all of our strength, hope, courage, and confidence in God. Therefore, prayer must be our first concern.” - Henri Nouwen

“Christians live in an atmosphere of reality. Most unsaved people live in an atmosphere of pretense and sham. Christians have been given spiritual discernment to know the true from the false, but the unsaved do not have this understanding. Christians do not simply choose between good and bad; they choose between true and false. An idol represents that which is false and empty; and a person who lives for idols will himself become false and empty.” - Excerpt, Be Real (1 John) by Warren W. Wiersbe

The Overthinker

Will Bruns on substack

 Let’s talk about those of us who feel everything too deeply.

The over-thinkers.

The ones whose hearts are wired to notice every shift in tone, every delayed response.

The ones who read entire stories in a single word text.

Who replay conversations looking for hidden meanings.

Who love so carefully, because they’re terrified of getting it wrong.

Our happiness often hangs by the thread of someone else’s mood.

Our peace, dependent on another’s response.

Our souls don’t choose to be this way.

Our hearts were just made beautifully sensitive.

Our minds, with extra awareness.

What looks like neediness on the outside is really just our fears wearing a different mask.

Fear of loss.

Fear of abandonment.

Fear of hurt.

Fear of giving too much and still ending up alone.

But here’s the beautiful truth about these deep-feeling souls…

We love with an intensity that most people can’t understand.

We remember the little things.

Notice the unsaid things.

Feel the forgotten things.

We just need someone patient enough to understand that our extra care comes from extra scars.

Someone who knows that reassurance isn’t neediness.

Rather it’s helping us quiet a mind that’s been hurt before.

Because someone once taught us that love leaves when things get hard.

And we’re still learning that not everyone walks away.

So don’t worry—your deep feelings aren’t a flaw.

They are a reflection of your capacity to love.

To care.

To understand in a way that most people can’t.

A reflection of the lens through which you see world.

Be encouraged - there are people out there who will see the worth of your heart and cherish it.

Not run from it.

You don’t have to change yourself to be loved.

The right people will stay—not because you beg them to.

But because they recognize the beauty in a heart that feels so deeply even if it is scared.

The Criss is not a metaphor

 THE RAW TRUTH OF CRUCIFIXION

The Romans perfected slow death. Hours of calculated agony. Public humiliation before final surrender.

And Paul says: "This is my only boast."

Not his Damascus Road encounter.

Not his missionary journeys.

Not his church plants.

Not his revelations.

Just the cross.

The instrument that killed his Savior became the lens through which he viewed everything.

THE COMFORTABLE CHRISTIAN DELUSION

You hang crosses on your walls.

You wear them around your neck.

You stamp them on your Bible.

Yet you flinch when life breaks skin.

When the boss humiliates you.

When the diagnosis comes.

When the marriage collapses.

When the child rebels.

You follow Christ until following hurts.

You worship surrender until something's demanded.

You admire sacrifice on Sunday.

You avoid it Monday through Saturday.

THE CROSS WASN'T INVITATION—IT WAS INVASION

God didn't just forgive at Calvary.

He invaded.

The cross thrust divine violence against your kingdoms:

Your comfort.

Your reputation.

Your autonomy.

Your plans.

Your rights.

Your life.

You want redemption without blood.

Resurrection without death.

Glory without grave.

Christ offers none of that.

YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE REVEALS WHAT YOU TRULY BELIEVE

Men who glory in the cross don't fear being called:

Fools.

Failures.

Fanatics.

Paul's enemies saw him as embarrassment.

His friends saw him as extreme.

Most would have counseled moderation.

He chose the scandal.

Your careful, calculated discipleship—safeguarded against real cost—reveals your true gospel: personal improvement with minimal disruption.

CRUCIFIXION NEVER HAPPENS HALFWAY

Two thousand years of church history have sanitized what Paul meant.

The cross wasn't inspiring.

It wasn't beautiful.

It wasn't comfortable.

It was Rome's most gruesome deterrent against rebellion.

It meant:

The end of self-protection.

The end of self-direction.

The end of self.

Not metaphorically.

Literally.

THE CROSS IS WHERE GOD'S JUSTICE AND MERCY COLLIDED

At Golgotha, the Father didn't restrain His justice.

He unleashed it.

Not because He's cruel.

Because He's holy.

Your sin required blood—either yours or His Son's.

When you see the cross only as salvation-by-transaction, you miss its brutal majesty:

God tearing His own heart open.

God absorbing His own judgment.

God killing death with death.

This is not sentiment.

This is slaughter.

His.

For you.

YOU DON'T GET TO FOLLOW CHRIST WHERE YOU CHOOSE

"Take up your cross daily and follow Me."

Not your preferences.

Not your interpretation.

Not your comfortable version.

Your cross.

Your execution.

Your death.

Daily.

You don't get to select your suffering.

You don't get to schedule your surrender.

You don't get to customize your crucifixion.

You die where He leads you to die.

THE BIBLICAL MAN: WHERE COMFORTABLE CHRISTIANITY COMES TO DIE

Most Christian voices want to inspire you.

We want to crucify you.

Because that's the only path to resurrection.

Daily, we drive nails through cultural Christianity, theological compromise, and the self-centered faith that's rotting American churches from within.

While other Substacks give you "Five Steps to Your Best Life Now," we give you blood-bought, Scripture-soaked truth that won't let you remain comfortable in half-hearted discipleship.

SUBSCRIBE NOW. YOUR SOUL CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER SUNDA

Tanner Olson - mon / fri

 How to make it from Monday to Friday

To get from Monday to Friday, you’ll have to get out of bed five times / some weeks this seems like a lot, but most good gifts can feel overwhelming at first / to make it to the weekend you’ll need to do things to keep you going / get outside / take a break from screens / hold fast to the truth / eat chocolate of any kind / brownies / chocolate chip cookies / hot chocolate / cake / Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups / or if your fancy you can get the dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe’s, but I am warning you you’ll get addicted / make plans / it’s always good to have something to look forward to / leave your phone in the other room / but make sure to call your mom or dad or sibling or someone who can remind you you are loved and seen and prayed for / take a minute to watch videos of dogs on the internet or at the park / let the dirty dishes pile up before you wash them down / scroll through Zillow and dream / walk the neighborhood / sing with the music loud and windows down / order some sort of seasonal latte / count your blessings / count them again / give yourself moments of stillness and stretching and silence / spend a few nights in your favorite sweatshirt / Speak with God / short prayers, long prayers, morning prayers, afternoon prayers, evening prayers / don’t forget to watch the sun rest and rise and as the colors mix with the sky remind yourself that you were made to do both / rest and rise / empty your hands but keep holding onto hope / confess your sins and go forward with grace / to get from Monday to Friday, you’ll have to get out of bed five times / what a gift.

With Hope, 

Tanner Olson

1 John 45

 How have you experienced attacks by the evil forces around us?  For me, there have been dark times when I’ve sensed an oppressive presence that could drive me to despair. Other times I’ve been prompted by God to take in a risky conversation or visit with an acquaintance, but sensed opposition to not take the risk. I’m convinced these premonitions are real and active, not made up mind games. Each time I’ve been driven to prayer, Deanne’s to re-read Ephesians 6. Surrender to the Holy Spirit and the power of God’s word has been life giving. God has promised to NEVER leave us or abandon us. 

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”

“There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's mind against the Enemy. He wants men to be concerned with what they do; our business is to keep them thinking about what will happen to them.” - C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

“First John 5:18 gives the answer: Jesus Christ keeps the believer so that the enemy cannot get his hands on him. “He [Christ] who was born of God keeps him [the believer], and the evil one does not touch him” (NASB). The Authorized Version “gives the impression that a believer keeps himself from sin, but this is not what the verse says. Of course, it is true that a Christian must keep himself in the love of God (Jude 21), but it is not true that a Christian must depend on himself to overcome Satan.” - Excerpt, Be Real (1 John) by Warren W. Wiersbe

1 John 44

 These verses seem to be difficult to grasp their full meaning. My first reaction is that I can easily make life all about me, justifying and rationalizing small and big offenses to God. Life is not about me, but all about honoring my Savior and King, promoting His reputation and character. The more I neglect Hos love and mercy, I can slide into my own self sufficient and independent mindset. I’m not the judge of the next guy, but the warnings about selfishness are real. 

“Jesus opens his arms to his needy children and says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, NASB). The criteria for coming to Jesus is weariness. Come overwhelmed with life. Come with your wandering mind. Come messy. What does it feel like to be weary? You have trouble concentrating. The problems of the day are like claws in your brain. You feel pummeled by life. What does heavy-laden feel like? Same thing. You have so many problems you don’t even know where to start. You can’t do life on your own anymore. Jesus wants you to come to him...

Paul Miller, A Praying Life

“We know that no one who is born of God sins” (1 John 5:18 NASB). “No one who is born of God practices sin” (3:9 NASB). Occasional sins are not here in view, but habitual sins, the practice of sin. Because a believer has a new nature (“God’s seed,” v. 9), he has new desires and appetites and is not interested in sin.

A Christian faces three enemies, all of which want to lead him into sin: the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

The world “lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19 NASB), Satan—the god of this age (2 Cor. 4:3–4, literal translation) and the prince of this world (John 14:30). He is the spirit who works in the children of disobedience (Eph. 2:2).” - Excerpt, Be Real (1 John) by Warren W. Wiersbe

Why not be a Calvinist

 Wesley McAdams , Rafical Christian substack 

7 Reasons Why I’m Not a Calvinist

1. I Am a Christian – The first reason I’m not a Calvinist is that John Calvin was a man. I myself am a man, and know all too well, the sins and short-comings of mankind. That is why I do not now, nor will I ever, follow a man. Paul admonished the church in Corinth for following men, when they were saying, “I follow Paul” or, “I follow Apollos” (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4). Even if I agreed with Calvin on every theological point, which I do not, I still could not describe myself as a “Calvinist” because I want to follow Christ, and Him alone.

Similar to what Paul asked the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:13), I would ask those who are Calvinists, “Was [Calvin] crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of [Calvin]?

2. Man is Not Totally Depraved – Calvin’s theology begins with the doctrine of “Total Depravity,” the idea that man is born so totally and completely sinful, he is incapable of making a right choice. This idea of “original sin” is foreign to Scripture. Instead, Scripture teaches that sin is the result of willful disobedience to God (Hebrews 10:26; 1 John 3:4).

Calvinism allows man to say, “Sin is not my fault. It is my ‘sinful nature.'” However, Scripture teaches that sin is our fault. Scripture teaches that man has freewill and is able to choose whom he will serve (Joshua 24:15).

3. The Church Was Predestined – The Calvinistic idea of predestination is that every individual has been predestined for salvation or condemnation. Man has nothing to do with receiving salvation; it is completely up to God whether an individual spends eternity in heaven or hell. In the first chapter of Ephesians and the eighth chapter of Romans, Paul speaks of the idea of being “predestined.” Thus, the idea of predestination is a biblical concept. However, Calvin has confused the issue. Paul wrote that God chose “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) to save a group of people (the church). Nowhere in Scripture do we read the Calvinistic idea that individuals were predestined for salvation or condemnation. Paul wrote, “he predestined us” (1:5) and, “we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined” (1:11). Concerning predestination, Paul always speaks in the plural (a group), not singular (an individual).

Allow me to illustrate: Suppose I told you today that in 30 years I was going to give every member of a certain Boy Scout troop $1,000. Thirty years from now, when those boys received the money, they could say as a group, “Wes predestined ‘us’ to receive this money.” However, an individual Scout could not say, “Wes predestined ‘me’ to receive this money.” It would not have been the individual who I chose, but the group. Just as God chose the group, Israel, to bless under the Old Testament, He has chosen the church to bless with salvation under the New Testament. In fact, Ephesians 1 ends this way, “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (vs. 22-23).

Paul wrote that God, “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). And Peter wrote, “he Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Salvation is available to anyone who will enter the Kingdom (the church) by being born again by water and the Spirit (John 3:1-7; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21)

4. Jesus Died for Everyone – For me, the hardest part of Calvinism to understand is the doctrine of “Limited Atonement.” Calvin and his followers teach that Christ only died for the “elect.” In other words, Christ did not die for those who are predestined for condemnation, but only for those who are predestined for salvation.

I cannot possibly believe that this idea could be reached by simply reading Scripture. It could only have been reached by the necessity of needing to support other man-made doctrines. Here is what Scripture says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should notperish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…” (1 Peter 3:18). And, “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

5. Grace is Resistible – The Calvinist teaches that grace is irresistible. They insist that if God predestines an individual, then God will save him; there is nothing that individual can do to resist God’s grace. However, numerous passages refute this doctrine. First, is it easy enough to see that people like King Agrippa resisted the grace of God. Even though he believed the Scriptures, he would not allow himself to be convinced to receive God’s grace and put on Christ (Acts 26:27-29).

Second, if grace were “irresistible” it would making evangelism unnecessary. Why would missionaries need to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16), if it was God who irresistibly and miraculously converted men? Why would Paul say, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). If Paul’s preaching and example had nothing to do with the conversion of souls, someone ought to have told Paul that!

6. Christians Can Fall From Grace – The Calvinists teach the doctrine of “Once Saved Always Saved.” The idea that if someone truly becomes a Christian, it is impossible for him to fall from grace. If you were to ask as Calvinist, “Can a person fall from grace?” Surely, the Calvinist would answer with a resounding, “No! There is no way a person can fall from grace.” Which baffles me, in light of Galatians 5:4, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” Surely that answers this question for all time, doesn’t it?!

Jesus Himself taught that one could fall from grace, “If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (John 15:6). If you need more convincing on this point, you can read my previous post on “Once Saved Always Saved.”

7. The Bible is My Standard – I believe in a simple gospel (2 Corinthians 11:3 NASB). I believe that God has revealed everything to us, through Scripture, that we need to know to be saved (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Salvation is not a great mystery, that only great theologians can decipher. Salvation is simple, easy to understand, and available to all through Jesus Christ.

This is what Jesus told the apostles, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:-15-16). The words of Jesus, and the words of the rest of the New Testament, could not be any further from Calvinism. Therefore, I want nothing to do with it!

I love you and the God, who wants all men to be saved, loves you,

1 John 43

 What stops us from praying more?  What are we really saying to God when we do not pray?  For me, I’ve often hidden my issues that needed to be addressed. At times I’ve been afraid what the outcome would be if I really prayed about it. Other times, I’ve wandered into a desert thinking that God doesn’t really care all that much and He has left it up to me to figure out. My distractions are many and I can rationalize most anything. But those excuses do not match what the Bible is saying. His love is far greater than any distraction I listen to. 

“Prayer is asking God to incarnate, to get dirty in your life. Yes, the eternal God scrubs floors. For sure we know he washes feet. So take Jesus at his word. Ask him. Tell him what you want. Get dirty. Write out your prayer requests; don't mindlessly drift through life on the American narcotic of busyness. If you try to seize the day, the day will eventually break you. Seize the corner of his garment and don't let go until he blesses you. He will reshape the day.” - Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life

“But if it is God’s will for me to have a thing, then why should I pray about it?” Because prayer is the way God wants His children to get what they need. God not only ordains the end, but He also ordains the means to the end—prayer. And the more you think about it, the more wonderful this arrangement becomes. Prayer is really the thermometer of the spiritual life. God has ordained that I maintain a close walk with Him if I expect Him to meet my needs.” - Excerpt, Be Real (1 John) by Warren W. Wiersbe

1 John 42

 Today’s study reminds me that the apostle John’s concern is that we be confident with His presence in our lives. Faith in what Jesus has done for us is simple - anyone can understand that we need a Savior. We each make living with Christ  complicated with our anxiety that we aren’t good enough, or too good to be humble in repentance. Life as a sheep depended upon the shepherd, and we have a Shepherd who loves us far more than we can imagine. 

“My focus shifted from “doing” what God wants me to do to “becoming” the kind of person who does what God wants me to do. This saved my soul, for which I am forever grateful!”

Excerpt, Renovated by Jim Wilder

“• “Everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1 John 2:29 NASB).

• “No one who is born of God practices sin” (1 John 3:9 NASB).

• “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14 NASB).

• “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7 NASB).

• “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world” (1 John 5:4).

If you bear these “birthmarks,” you can say with confidence that you are a child of God.” - Excerpt, Be Real (1 John) by Warren W. Wiersbe