In his conclusion to Chapter 1 of Anger, Gary Chapman expresses his belief that “the human capacity for anger is rooted in the nature of God.” Mr. Chapman does not suggest that anger is an essential part of God’s nature. Furthermore, Gary respects and holds deep reverence for God. However, the author does suggest that […]
Although we normally think of anger as an emotion, it is in reality a cluster of emotions involving the body, the mind, and the will.”- Gary Chapman Gary Chapman opens Chapter 1 (“Where Does Anger Come From?”) of Anger by observing that people of all ages and social classes experience anger. First of all, Mr. […]
“All of us can learn much about processing our anger more effectively.”- Gary Chapman Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages originally wrote Anger: Taming a Powerful Emotion in 1999. Previous title- The Other Side of Love. In the Introduction (“Our Angry World”) of Anger, Mr. Chapman clearly states that many of us have issues […]
If: Trading Your If Only Regrets (Baker Books, 2015) If: Trading Your If Only Regrets for God’s What If Possibilities is the most recent book by Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington DC. Although there are 1,784 ifs in the Bible, most of those ifs function as “conditional conjunctions at the front end […]
“Big dreams require deep convictions. the heights of your accomplishments will never exceed the depth of your convictions.”- Mark Batterson In Chapter 30 (“Keep Calm and Carry On”), the concluding chapter of If, Mark Batterson stresses that you must live according to your convictions if you expect to make a difference. Next, Batterson offers four […]
“Anyone can perform good deeds for an audience; the best among us do their greatest work when no one is present to bear witness.”- Ken Poirot “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we […]
“He’s the God who saves us, from the guttermost to the uttermost.”- Mark Batterson “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”- Romans 8:37 Mark Batterson begins Chapter 29 (“More than Conquerors”) of If by observing that, in his experience, it take time to take on a new […]
“In the realm of general relativity, an event horizon is the point of no return. It’s the point at which gravitational pull becomes so great that it’s impossible to escape.”- Mark Batterson In Chapter 28 “The Event Horizon”) of If, Mark Batterson states the most obvious example of an event horizon is a black hole. […]
“How you see God will dictate how you see yourself, see your future, see your life. It’s your trademark, your watermark.”- Mark Batterson Chapters 27-30 comprise The Fourth (and final) If– No Ifs, Ands or Buts About It. In the brief introduction, Mark Batterson writes that many God-ordained opportunities come disguised as problems. Seek God […]
“But the chain reaction of faith defies gravity, defies the imagination.”- Mark Batterson In Chapter 25 (“I Dwell in Possibility”) of If, Mark Batterson states that before every breakthrough, someone first had to imagine the impossible. In fact, Pastor Batterson emphatically asserts, what if is not optional if God is for us. Mark’s prayer is […]
“But with God and three pennies, I can do anything.”- Mother Teresa Shortly after Mother Teresa took her vows, she shared her vision, her what if, with her mother superiors. She told them she had three pennies and a dream from God to build an orphanage. Displaying narrow framing, Mother Teresa’s superiors told her three […]
“One dimension of spiritual growth is being reconditioned by the grace of God.”- Mark Batterson “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.”- Romans 8:29 Mark Batterson writes in Chapter 23 (“The Pavlovian Effect”) of If that “it’s much easier to act like a Christian than to […]