Resources by Topic: Christian Life

I know, we’re supposed to pretend that movies have no influence on us, or our children. That way we can be cool and go with the popular drift of culture and prove that not all Christians are uptight and moralistic.

I was listening to a John Piper message on Hebrews 12, titled "The Painful Discipline of Our Heavenly Father," and appreciated this introduction, so I’m sharing it with you. 

When someone passed on to me this supposedly true story (I make no guarantees it really happened, but similar things certainly do happen) it reminded me of two things. 

As many of you know, I am on both Facebook and Twitter, where I frequently post short updates and devotional thoughts. Some people may ask if as a Christian, being on Facebook and Twitter and other social networking sites is really worth it, or just a waste of time.  

A few months ago I happened to see this on The Heart of a Pastor Wife's blog, and thought these pictures were profound.      

This story was sent by my friend Doug Nichols, founder and director of Action International. It is a powerful reminder that the first and second greatest commands are inseparable: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart...love your neighbor as yourself."

The problem with short-term rewards is not that it's wrong to receive them, but that it's wrong for them to be our primary motivation for doing the work. If we take Matthew 6 seriously, when we offer people their name on a brick for giving to a building offering we're saying "Hope you enjoy this brick, because if this is why you're giving, the brick's all the reward you're going to get."

Acts 17:11 says that "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." We should come to God's Word with "great eagerness."

It's summertime, and many recent high school graduates will be starting college for the first time this fall. Other young people are beginning to look into which college they would like to attend in the next few years.

With summer here and kids out of school, many Christians, and especially those who are parents, might be wondering: How do I take charge of the television?  

Fasting seems to be an oft-neglected spiritual discipline for Christians these days. Do you have any thoughts or suggestions on fasting?

Enjoying good music makes us smile. It’s part of what makes us human. And one recent TV show drives the point home in an unexpected and astounding way.

It’s graduation time, and I’d encourage you to be discerning as you hear the message being sent to graduates. 

In light of my recent post on biblical illiteracy, I wanted to give some practical suggestions for being a better steward of the time God gives us each day, especially for making time for the study of God's Word.