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In Anxiety, Blog, Book Reviews on
November 23, 2020

Anxious for Nothing

In just a few days, families all across America will be celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. But for many people, this year’s Thanksgiving will look very different. At-risk family members may be absent from gatherings. Special food dishes may be no longer affordable and go unprepared. Christians may not be able to gather in their churches to sing and give thanks to God. This year seems to have not given us much to be thankful for. Instead, it has given us a lot to be anxious and worried about. Our heads are filled with questions like, “When will I go back to work? When will my kids go back to school? What happens if I get sick? Will I have enough money to buy Christmas presents this year? When will things return to normal?”

While these questions and others like them are “normal,” they are not something that we should spend a lot of time dwelling on. 

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
November 16, 2020

He is Jealous

“Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.”-Shakespeare, Othello[1]

Jealousy is something that everyone struggles with, and it can also be known as envy or covetousness. We can be jealous of those who seem smarter, stronger, faster, or better-looking than us. We can be envious of someone’s popularity, power, or relationships. We can covet the stuff and money that other people have. Sometimes it seems that this green-eyed monster is lurking behind every corner, always trying to rob us of our contentment and destroy the relationships we do have.

But is jealousy always bad? 

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In Bible Study, Blog, Revelation on
November 9, 2020

No More

The year 2020 has been a disaster, and it seems like every month has brought new chaos and destruction. First, wildfires spread across Australia, then millions of people contracted COVID-19, and violent riots destroyed cities all around the world. We witnessed the crash of the stock market, the emergence of murder hornets, and the tragic passing of some of our most beloved celebrities. In America, we’ve had fires on our west coast, hurricanes on our gulf coast, and strict lockdowns from coast to coast. Maybe, like me, you’re crying out to God “no more!” No more violence. No more chaos. No more destruction. No more!

Thankfully, God has promised us that one day soon there will be no more.

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In Blog, Fear, Theology on
November 2, 2020

To Fear or Not to Fear

At times, I can be a very fearful person. I often get caught up in all the “what-ifs” of life. What if this happens? What if that doesn’t happen? What if they don’t like me? What if I get lost? What if I can’t find it? What if it all goes terribly? What if, what if, what if.

As you probably know, the Bible commands us not to live in this kind of fear. We have a God, a Heavenly Father who loves us and casts out fear (1 John 4:18). He has created us and formed us, redeemed us and called us by name (Isaiah 43:1). He strengthens us and helps us, and He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Isaiah 41:10, Deuteronomy 31:6). God is our light, our salvation, and our stronghold (Psalm 27:1).  He comforts us and gives us peace (Psalm 23:4, John 14:27). We are in Him. We have no need to fear.

So, how are we to respond to Bible verses like 1 Peter 2:17 or Matthew 10:28 that command us to fear and, of all things, to fear God? Doesn’t the Bible command us not to fear? And isn’t He a loving, redeeming, comforting God? Why do we need to fear Him?

To fear or not to fear? That is the question.

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In Blog, Book Reviews, Self-Love on
October 26, 2020

You’re Not Enough (and that’s okay)

How many times have you seen the phrase “I am enough” on Christian t-shirts or journals, or how many times have you heard “you are enough” being taught at women’s ministry events? While the phrase sounds nice and happy and encouraging, it is actually not a Christian idea. The phrase originated from the self-love culture of our society, and unfortunately this culture of self-love has infiltrated the church.

What is self-love? And why is self-love such a bad thing? These are the questions Allie Stuckey answers in her book You’re Not Enough (and that’s okay). 

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