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...

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

Cost-benefit analysis is an important skill that most of us use in every part of life. When looking for a job we ask, “Is the expected income worth the time and stress?” When considering a large purchase, we ask, “Is this item worth the money it will cost?” When considering dessert, we ask “Is the taste worth the calories?” When deciding if we will travel in the snow we ask, “Is my reason for getting out today worth the chance of a car accident?” We do cost-benefit analysis a

Marriage was designed by God to be a beautiful union of man and woman. However, as with every good thing, the enemy tries to twist and corrupt that union into something that destroys people and their relationship with God. We as God’s people have the ability, and even duty, to reject the enemy’s corruption and follow God’s beautiful design for union between man and woman...

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.

“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...

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...

Most religious groups want to be holy. And God’s word teaches us how to be holy (c.f. 1 Peter 1:15-16). If those desiring to be holy simply did what God says to do, then the world would be a much better place. But for many, just “doing what the Bible says” seems oversimplified and they feel that there must be more to it than that.

We need to honor and protect God’s holy name, and resolve to use it only when we are addressing Him in prayer or speaking of Him. His name should never be used in a selfish way, it should never become just another flippant phrase whether said by lip or in a text message: both are disrespectful.

How quickly can one fall away or become ensnared by the temptations and lusts of the world and step outside the security of the Kingdom?

We can take comfort in the soul saving ability of His word. God has kept and will always keep His promise to you. Will you do your best to keep your promise of obedience to Him?

The assurance of knowing is meant to be not only faith-producing and sustaining but also is both the express will of God for man...

Habakkuk gives us a great example of humbly trusting God, even when he didn’t like what God had in store.