In today’s blog, Pastor Kyle Idleman (Gods at War) presents and discusses the 3rd and 4th options offered by Joshua. Option 3: Gods of Our Culture– The newest gods the Israelites encountered, “the newcomers to this cosmic clash” as the author puts it, belonged to the Amorites. The most significant weapon the Amorite gods had was […]
Today Pastor Idleman continues his presentation and discussion of Joshua’s 4 options (compass points) in Gods at War. Option 2: Gods of Your Past– The author observes that the Egyptians were much like the Mesopotamians, having a “diverse and highly-developed pantheon of deities, often mixing human and animal body parts to create specific gods. In […]
Earlier in Chapter 4 of Gods at War, Pastor Kyle Idleman presented several options that Joshua presented to the people of Israel in his farewell address at Shechem. Pastor Idleman asks us to think of those 4 options (Joshua’s 3 plus Jesus) as compass points, because whatever option we choose will head us in a […]
Pastor Kyle Idleman (Gods at War) concludes his spiritual arteriogram today with Questions 5-7 (the author’s words are in bold type). 5. Where is your sanctuary? In Psalm 46: 1-2 we read: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the […]
In today’s blog, Pastor Kyle Idleman (Gods at War) continues his spiritual arteriogram with Questions 3-4. 3. Where do you make financial sacrifices? As the Bible says in Matthew 6: 21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Pastor Idleman notes that “where your money goes shows what god is winning […]
One test a cardiologist uses to diagnose heart health is an arteriogram. The doctor injects a dye into the blood stream and then X-rays the arteries to locate any blockages. In Chapter 2 of Gods at War, Kyle Idleman presents a spiritual arteriogram, asking 7 questions to test our spiritual heart health by revealing and […]
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”- Proverbs 4: 23 “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”- Proverbs 27: 19 In Chapter 2 (“The Battleground of the Gods”) of Gods at War, Pastor Kyle Idleman notes that our modern society tends to see personality more […]
” . . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race set before us.”- Hebrews 12: 1 In the dark ages of track and field, when event distances were measured in impractical and antiquated units call yards, I ran the […]
In his Introduction to Gods at War, author Kyle Idleman relates a late-night conversation with his eight-year-old daughter Morgan that changed his life and his church. During their nightly prayer time, Morgan surprised her father by announcing that she could recite all Ten Commandments. As Morgan finished her recitation, Pastor Idleman sensed a teachable moment. […]
What If Your Blessings Come Through Raindrops? (Freeman-Smith, 2012) What If Your Blessings Come Through Raindrops? is a devotional written by singer/songwriter Laura Story that is based on her Grammy Award-winning song “Blessings”. The song chronicles her journey toward redefining the blessings in her own life. When Laura’s husband Martin was diagnosed with a brain […]
“I waited patiently for the Lord,; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, . . . he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”- […]
Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?” Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do.”- John 9: […]