Posts by jjohnson
What are your life priorities? Is loving your spouse #2?
A question for couples to consider during marital conflict for couples with children is, “what are your top three life priorities?” Potential answers might be: raising our children right maintaining order amidst the chaos having a clean house giving our children every chance to succeed As believers, we know that loving God should be our…
Read MoreIntegrity
God made man upright, Ecclesiastes 7:29. To be upright is to have integrity, to be straight, perfect and righteous. In the movie Shane (1953), the hero encourages a young man to be “strong and straight” in his life: …when it seems nobody is looking. God is always present (“omni-present”). Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of…
Read MorePreferring & Serving Others: The Antidote to Selfishness and Pride
Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” In these verses, Paul expresses the antidote to selfishness and pride: considering others more significant than ourselves. Then in…
Read MoreAddressing Sin’s Impact on Others
Sin impacts people who are not directly involved, but are affected by the sin. Here are some thoughts on how the aftermath of sin should be addressed with them: Meet with the affected person and explain what happened. Ask them for forgiveness. Ask if they have any questions. Let them know you are getting help,…
Read MoreWhat if I sin again (after confessing and repenting)?
So you have asked God and the person you sinned against to forgive your sin. But you may be asking, “what if I sin again?” Here are three things to consider: First, if you trust in Jesus Christ, you are going to change. He has enable you to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). …
Read MoreThe Results of Sin
Scripture says “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). When it does, the aftermath of sin is devastating. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death“…probably most notably, relational death. Sin destroys things that come into contact with it…relationships, lives, growth, opportunity, any prior healing, memories…the list goes on. In Galatians,…
Read MoreProtected: Tracing the Root of Sexual Sin
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Read MoreWhat Does it Mean to “Glorify God”?
I often hear the encouraging words “glorify God” from my Christian friends. I think this has become a popular phrase among Christians over the past several years. This is wonderful, because it quickly focuses us on our main purpose in life (1 Corinthians 10:31). But what exactly does it mean to glorify God? Meditate on…
Read MoreWhy – Primarily – Did Jesus Come?
Scripture records several answers to the question, “Why did Jesus come?” Here are several reasons from Jesus’ own lips: – That His people would have abundant life (John 10:10) – To seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) – To destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) – To serve and give His…
Read MoreComplete Through the Gospel
You have been made complete through the gospel, the good news that God showed His love, mercy and grace toward you. Because of this, you extend love, mercy and grace to others, no strings attached: Because you know God loves us, you can love others (1 Corinthians 13:7 – love tries to assume the best…
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