“The measure of filling we receive is in direct proportion to our level of emptiness.”- Kyle Idleman In Chapter 5 (“Empty to Be Filled”) of The End of Me, Kyle Idleman begins by boldly stating that God loves to fill empty things, whether it’s a widow’s jar (2 Kings 4) or a measure of hope. […]
Kyle Idleman continues Chapter 4 of The End of Me by noting that, in God’s kingdom economy, much is determined by the audience you choose. If your primary interest is in what other people think, your reward is their applause or attention. In Matthew 6:1, Jesus says, “Be careful not to practice you righteousness in front […]
“There’s nothing life can throw at us that God can’t use to draw us closer to him.”- Kyle Idleman In Chapter 2 of The End of Me, Kyle Idleman observes that it’s human nature to do everything one can to stay away from suffering in the first place. But we take things one step further […]
“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.”- Matthew 5:4 (The Message) In surprising ways, suffering makes room in our spirit for us to know and experience the blessing of God’s peace and presence.”- Kyle Idleman Kyle […]
Everybody has that sudden, painful longing for yesterday, when they didn’t know how good they had it, just before the world fell in.”- Kyle Idleman Kyle Idleman continues Chapter 2 of The End of Me with an example the Bible offers to help us figure out what Jesus means when He uses the word mourning. […]
Today John Ortberg discusses the first two reasons why some doors remain closed to us (Chapter 9, All the Places to Go). 1. Knocking at the wrong door. Pastor Ortberg states that sometimes doors are closed because we want the wrong thing. Throughout the Bible we see closed doors in response to wrong requests. As […]
As John Ortberg continues Chapter 3 of All the Places to Go, he posits that actually noticing people leads to open doors. He states: “Doors open when I actually notice and care about people I might otherwise overlook.” Pastor Ortberg relates a story he read about a woman who locked her keys in her car. […]
“The divine ‘go’ comes into every life, but we must be willing to leave before we’re willing to go.”- John Ortberg In Chapter 2 of All the Places to Go, John Ortberg notes that there’s an entire field of study in the social sciences based on the psychology of regret. Regret changes over the course […]
“. . . I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all -peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”- Genesis12:2-3 In Chapter 2 of All the Places to Go, John Ortberg […]
Moving on in Chapter 2 of All the Places to Go, John Ortberg observes that open doors aren’t’ always well-marked. In other words, when God does call, the call isn’t always clear. Pastor Ortberg states that, as a general rule, God gives information on a need-to-know basis. And God makes the decision as to who […]
The Grave Robber (Baker Books, 2014) Mark Batterson’s most recent book is titled The Grave Robber: How Jesus Can Make Your Impossible Possible. The book is based on seven miracles of Jesus reported in the gospel of John. Each miracle represents a different dimension of Jesus’ power. The prerequisite for a miracle is a problem, […]
John Ortberg continues Chapter 1 of All the Places to Go with the observation that often an open door begins with discontentment about the room we’re currently in. Although our strength may be small (Revelation 3:8), Pastor Ortberg states it’s comforting to know that God can open a door for anyone, not just the talented […]