Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Faith

Faith that is Fully Alive

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Josh Husmann, pastor at Mercy Road Church in Indianapolis, recently made the point that, “Your faith is most contagious when it is fully alive.” Dormant faith rarely spreads. If we aren’t living in such a way that our faith drives everything we do, we will struggle to be effective witnesses for Jesus.

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image © Maxim Malevich

When we are fully engaged in our faith, our lives take on an irresistible glow, a fire that is visible to all those with whom we come into contact. We all want a faith that is fully alive, but the struggles of our own doubts and insecurities leave our faith simmering just below the surface. It’s time to let it explode. It’s time we unleashed our faith into the world.
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Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

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We’ve discussed similar topics on this site before, but it seems that every couple of months I start hearing this question repeated over and over again. Perhaps the evil that occurs so frequently in our world prompts the question. Perhaps it comes from years of being given no or unsatisfactory answers to the question. Regardless of the reason, I am repeatedly frustrated and amazed that so many otherwise learned and respected Theologians and Pastors continue to struggle and give out such bad teaching when it comes to the question of why bad things happen to good people.

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Brave

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As I was writing this morning, I was listening to Nichole Nordeman’s song, “Brave”. I actually was beginning to write on a different topic I had sketched out when the words of the chorus really hit me:

“So long status quo
I think I just let go
You make me want to be brave
The way it always was
Is no longer good enough
You make me want to be brave.”

The song goes on to say “If you believe in me, that changes everything.” Wow. When was the last time you recognized that not only does Jesus love you, but He absolutely, unequivocally, and without hesitation believes in you? He designed you to do the work He created you to do (Ephesians 2:10), and He harbors no doubt you can get it done. It doesn’t matter who hurt you in the past, let you down, held you down, or laughed in your face. The God of the Universe believes in you. Does anything else even matter? [Read more…] about Brave

Stop Trying to Convert People

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One of the biggest fallacies I was taught was that as Christians our job is to always be trying to convert others to become Christians as well. The problem is I don’t see anywhere where this was modeled by Jesus. Sure, when He called His disciples, He told them to “Follow Me”. I don’t really think that was an evangelistic outreach however. If you disagree, try employing that same strategy at a local mall some Saturday. No, the way Jesus drew others into a relationship with Him was by loving them. He didn’t ask for anything in return. He loved us because that’s who He is. Jesus is love through and through. He cannot act otherwise. As His followers, this is how we should strive to live.

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What Color is God?

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In the forward to the book, “Free: Spending your time and money on what matters most”, Richard Rohr stated that “If you are a white middle class American, for example, and all your beliefs end up making God look like a white middle-class American, sharing all of your usual prejudices and illusions, I doubt whether you have met the Eternal God at all.” Those are bold words that I believe sum up a major problem with Christianity in the world today.  We all tend to make God in our own image instead of allowing Him to conform us to His image. We all see Him as a product of our particular culture instead of seeking to become part of God’s culture. Until we get this turned around, we will never experience the life He created us to live.

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