Step Right Up

The Psalmist writes of being confused in Psalm 73. He sees people

making decisions as if God doesn't care and isn't watching. Their 

God-ignoring decisions eventually cause them problems, but it takes

a long time for the judgement to manifest. When we decide to hate 

and seek our own good at the expense of others, we to are acting 

as though God doesn't care. 

Compassion in Crisis

How should we respond to a tragic crisis? Does our first impulse match with

the actions of the good Samaritan? In the parable, Jesus describes a man

who should have been an enemy demonstrates great compassion and care. 

We are all broken people in a broken world - may we find the strength to

follow the teaching of Christ and show compassion to each other.

Is this person made in God's image?

When you look at someone else, no matter how different that person may be -
do you see the image of God, or do you see the sin that infests our world? We all
sin, but we also bear the image of God (Gen 1:27) and for that reason we should extend love and help
to each other whenever possible. The gospel shines best in our deeds.

Running from Nothing

2 Kings 7 tells the story of a great army that deserts its mission because God caused them to hear the sounds of an opposing army. In their fear they left everything behind and enabled their enemy. How often do we react in fear to things that may not even be real? 

Absolutes

The concept of absolute truth has been abused by religious leaders for many years.

The Bible does affirm such absolutes by declarative statements about God's character.

Passages such as Deuteronomy 32:4 and John 14:6 declare God and His Son to be Truth. 

Since it would be logically impossible to absolutely deny absolute truth, maybe we should

reconsider the argument and how it applies to the gospel of Christ.

Traditions can hinder or further the gospel

Each of us have a set of traditions that bring us comfort. The religous leaders of
Jesus' day used their traditions to oppress the elderly (Matt 15:6) - but Paul passes

good teaching to his friends through traditions (2 Thess 2:15). What do your traditions

say about you? Do they promote the gospel, or hinder it?

Switching from what's working

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul asks why those who trusted God for

salvation were now attempting to please God with their works. Although

God has work for us, it is not our obedience to that work that pleases him,

it is our trusting Him and our relying on him to work through us.