Devotional Thoughts Archives - Page 4 of 7

Category: Devotional Thoughts

Devotional Thoughts

Repentance versus Defensiveness

It seems to me that we tend to respond to accurate criticism in one of two ways: repentance or defensiveness. These two reactions are as different as heaven and hell. A defensive heart says, “but...

April 11, 201319 Comments

Being Objective about Grumpiness

I think about as good a test of our sanctification as any is whether or not we are able to be objective about our grumpiness, and our negative emotions in general. It might sound silly,...

March 30, 20135 Comments

Being a Father

My son Isaiah was born last week. He’s been in the NICU until (hopefully) today or (possibly) tomorrow, which has been hard and sad. But the whole experience of having a baby has been far...

March 13, 20136 Comments

Running out of Things to Say

This morning I read Paul’s third account of his conversion in the book of Acts, before King Agrippa in chapter 26, and I noticed that it includes Christ’s commission to Paul (which is not recorded...

February 23, 20131 Comment

Stephen’s Stoning

I’ve been reflecting on the story of Stephen’s martyrdom in Acts 7 lately: 54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy...

February 4, 20132 Comments

The Burial of Christ

I read through the account of Jesus’ burial in Mark’s gospel this morning (15:42-47): And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of...

January 19, 20131 Comment

Helpful Prayers

These are prayers I find helpful to pray in the midst of ministry and life following Jesus. 1) Lord, give me a forgiving heart in this situation. A forgiving heart is different from a willingness...

January 15, 20131 Comment

Elijah and the Ravens

One of the portions of Scripture that stood out to me while reading through the Bible in 2011 was the story of Elijah at Mt. Horeb in I Kings 19. I began to think about...

November 19, 20122 Comments

Gospel Index

A question that my wife often asks me is, “what does it mean to boast in your weaknesses in this situation?” This is a helpful gospel index for me. My default state is not to...

October 25, 20121 Comment