This year we have examined joyful endurance, and for obvious reasons we have spent a lot of time examining joy. But the question arises: are there times when joy is not preferable? Are there times where joy is inappropriate or not helpful? To examine this, let’s look at Ecclesiastes 7:1-6...

Proverbs 23:23 states, “Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.” The truth is important enough that we are told to acquire it, even if it costs us something valuable. Right there we see an important principle. The truth is worth it!..

Lying as a form of kindness is a very old idea. Some believe that if the truth can hurt a person’s feelings or lead to uncomfortable situations, it should be avoided. If telling a “little white lie” means uncomfortable situations are averted and everyone is happy, this is obviously best. This way of thinking comes from the idea that hurt feelings and discomfort are the absolute worst things ever, and must be avoided at any cost. But, does that hold up to scrutiny?

A comfort zone is where you feel safe and unchallenged. We all have comfort zones in which things feel familiar and safe: certain people and social situations, certain jobs, preferred topics, etc. We get comfortable with a certain academic depth (or shallowness). While there is nothing wrong or sinful about having comfort zones, exclusively staying within our comfort zone naturally leads to stagnation...

Buzzwords and catchphrases are rampant in the religious world. People often repeat common phrases without understanding them, simply because they have heard them over and over. “Obey the gospel.” “Believe in Jesus.” “Pray Jesus into your heart.” The list goes on. Now, there is nothing wrong with repeated phrases; repetition helps us remember facts. But, if we are repeating phrases without understanding what those phrases mean, then we may be unintentionally promoting false

In a perfect world, everyone would always do the right thing simply because it is right. Sadly, that is not what generally happens. Many people will push the boundaries between right and wrong as often as possible. Some will even default to doing what is wrong as soon as they think they can get away with it, thinking, “If no one knows, and I am not hurting anyone, then what does it matter?” From a purely humanistic perspective, that logic makes some sort of sense. But...

We all know how important it is to be obedient to God and follow His word. These facts should not be news to any off us. Yet, sometimes obedience feels difficult. Sometimes we try to find every excuse we can to avoid obedience to God and His word. Why is that? You would think that if we know how important obedience is, then actually obeying would be easy. But it often is not easy. For many, the reason obedience is difficult is because of their attitude about the concept of ob

Our modern world is obsessed with convenience. Why cook a meal from scratch when you can microwave a frozen dinner? Why go visit friends when you can visit over video chat? Why walk when you can drive? Why study when you can ask an AI chat-bot? This level of ease can help in some situations, but it also has a number of drawbacks...

When we face various troubles in our lives, sometimes they are all we can think or talk about. It may feel like those troubles will never end. For many, this is when they stop making plans for the future, because they are focused only on the current troubles. Some start considering a drastic move like running away from their life, or even committing suicide. No one WANTS to get to that point – but it does happen. So, how can we avoid it?...

Many people seem to experience a mental disconnect regarding who they spend time with and the resulting situations in which they find themselves. A person who spends most of their time with negative people may wonder why they are so depressed. A person who spends a lot of time around heavy drinkers may wonder why they can’t stay sober. Someone who spends a considerable amount of time around the chronically unemployed may wonder why they can’t get motivated to get a job...

Everyone will come upon difficult times in their lives: Emotional difficulties, financial difficulties, relationship difficulties, difficulties with sin, and more. When these difficulties come, many people ask, “Why would God let this happen to me?” However, in most cases, these troubles don’t just materialize out of nowhere. They come about because of decisions we, or those around us, have made. Sure, there are situations where a person faces difficulties that they had no pa

Have you ever known someone who was afraid of commitment? Perhaps when his or her relationship starts to get more serious, and conversations about marriage come up, suddenly this person gets “cold feet” and quickly jumps out of the relationship. The relationship was great, but an increase of commitment is not what they wanted from it. Something similar can happen in people’s spiritual lives...

We often talk about the dangers of intoxication. However, for the person who is struggling with substance use, they may feel that there is no benefit to coming off the substances. Many people who resort to substance use do so because they are trying to escape the painful realities of their life. For that person, being sober is scarier than the inability to think straight when intoxicated. With that in mind, let's examine some of the benefits of sobriety...

Life is full of distractions: They may be pleasant or unpleasant, but they are distractions never-the-less. Interestingly, what constitutes a distraction differs for people greatly since it is based on an individual’s goals. What a motivated, goal-oriented person sees as a distraction could be the perceived purpose in life for an unmotivated, aimless person. What a righteous person sees as a sinful distraction, an unrighteous person might see as the only thing worth pursuing.

When people go through hard times, they will often ask something like, “Why is God letting this happen to me?” They may even state it as an accusation: “How dare God put me through this?” These questions and the ideas behind them can easily shake or even topple a person’s faith. You may notice that these questions are phrased as though the person is a victim in the situation. The accusation is that God is acting unfairly against them...

“Anything that makes me this happy could not be bad for me.” “Surely, God wants me to be happy, right?” “It feels too good to be wrong.” From a humanistic point of view these comments sound accurate, and are common among people trying to justify sin. But, are these statements biblical and correct? To answer that question, let’s look at what John the apostle says...

The beginning of a new year is a fascinating time. Many people optimistically make plans and resolutions for the coming year, deciding what they want to accomplish and feeling excited about what the year may bring. Others might feel indifferent about the new year, anticipating another year of the same old grind. Some people may even dread the new year, fearing some unknown event or dreading challenges it may bring, and feeling concerned that they will not live up to some stan

It was the night before Christmas, when all through the house people were grumpy, even Aunt Gail. Uncle George brought up politics without any care, grandpa lost his temper right then and right there. Grandma hid in her room consumed with dread, while visions of disaster danced in her head. Aunt Jill and Uncle Tom were fuming that James brought that girl to dinner, and his sister was stoking the fire with her sarcastic ire...

According to certain theologians, some of God’s commands seem to unequally impact those who have been harmed by cruel people. Because of this the argument is made that God’s commands don’t pertain in certain situations. These are often presented in hypothetical “what if” statements. These statements are formed in such a way where following God’s commands looks like the cruel option, and going against God’s law seems like the merciful option...

We live in a very negative and pessimistic society. Doom and gloom permeate every aspect of culture. Unfortunately, that pessimism has also permeated the church. Many Christians will only look at the negatives of any given situation. They see how hard it is to resist sin, so they despair of ever being able to overcome their bad habits. They see how difficult evangelism is, so they start to think that the church can never grow...