W.H. Auden: We would rather be ruined than changed; We would rather die in our dread Than climb the cross of the moment And let our illusions die.
What should you beat to death with a shovel in 2010?
Most of us know what it takes to kill something. You have to be vicious. One day when I was mowing my yard I saw my neighbor run out of his garage with a shovel in his hand. He ran…
Devotions from the 10 Commandments
Justin Taylor gives a concise overview of how Luther encouraged people to pray through the 10 Commandments (See Exodus 20:3-17). Justin then points to another link. In A Simple Way to Pray, Martin Luther described how he uses the Ten…
“Divine power to demolish strongholds” / “Let them truckers roll, 10:4”
Here is a verse to memorize and a pathetic way I remember the reference. Notice that I am offering extra credit for this assignment. If there is some area that has a grip on your life (an addiction, pornography, eating,…
I’ve never liked change . . .
I’ve never liked change. I gripe when Jamie rearranges the furniture. Now, Amy Scott writes this and I’m feeling convicted. Change happens whether you want it to or not. I understand this more than I used to. One day you…
Plantinga explains why discipline gives way to fluid creativity
Cornelius Plantinga: Just as in sports and music, discipline in spiritual hygiene has a point. Anybody can play, but only a disciplined person can play freely. Discipline is the basis and presupposition of both freedom and power. A basketball forward…
Are you willing to cooperate?
This Sunday I will preach about the importance of memorizing Scripture. Hiding God’s word in our hearts, is one of the best ways to cooperate with the grace of God. Remember today that while God is a God of grace,…
Even if You Don’t Have the Swine Flu, Get an I.V.
It turned out it wasn’t the swine flu. I visited a lady from our church yesterday at the hospital. For nearly two weeks she has been battling something intestinal. The tests show that it wasn’t the dreaded swine flu. Though,…
Do You Need Braces?
If you need to get braces, then get them in the next few days. The sooner you get them on, the sooner you will get them off. I woke up several years ago and couldn’t open my mouth. Literally, my…
Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action; reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character reap a destiny
If it’s true that physically, “we are what we eat,” it is just as true that we become what we think. That is the point of the above progression. What do you spend your time thinking about? In growing as…