Equally dangerous, however, is the false god of the future — the forward-staring face of Janus. This false god can take a number of forms, but the most prevalent is that of godless anxiety. . . . we become hindered with constant fear, worry, and uncertainty. A thousand doubts and what-ifs arise as we pay […]
“We are called to contentment. Contentment does not come when we acquire enough. It is a product of the way we think.”- John Ortberg “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”- Philippians 4:12 (NIV) As John Ortberg […]
“The widest river on earth is a body of water called If Only. Throngs of people stand on its banks and cast longing eyes over the waters. . . . They are convinced the If Only river separates them from the good life.”- Max Lucado “I have learned the secret of being content in any […]
“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world.”- 1 Timothy 6:6-7 “Contentment does not come when we acquire enough. It is a product of the way we think.”- John Ortberg On the occasional fall/winter Sunday afternoon the Henning […]
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”- John 14:23 (NIV) “God is at home, it’s we who have gone out for a walk.”- Meister Eckhart “Prayer is the most concrete way to make our home […]
“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”- Romans 1:21 “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”- Thornton Wilder As John Ortberg concludes Chapter […]
“And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly . . . as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through him.”- Colossians 3:15b-17 […]
“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I don no want to do- this I keep on […]
In Chapter 11 of Soul Keeping, John Ortberg states that Jesus “lived in a divine rhythm where grace was constantly flowing into him and then flowing out from him.” For the rest of the chapter, Pastor Ortberg presents four movements in the Cycle of Grace. The first movement, Acceptance, is discussed today. 1. Acceptance. For […]
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”- John 15:5 In Chapter 10 of Soul Keeping, John Ortberg references John 15:5, noting that when we make sure- through the power of the […]
“In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a while you will see me.”- John 16:16 “It is the nature of joy that all questions grow silent, and nothing needs explaining.”- Rudolf Bultmann As John Ortberg concludes Chapter 9 of Soul Keeping, he discusses Jesus’ message to His disciples shortly […]
“In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord. . . my soul refused to be comforted.”- Psalm 77:2 (NASB) “He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”- Ecclesiastes 3:11 In Chapter […]