Loving God | AGW MINISTRIES

Love Anyway

August 2, 2018February 12, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”-Genesis 2:15-17

Loving is dangerous. It comes with so much potential for pain because true love must involve real choice. The definition of risk is to “expose (someone or something valued) to danger, harm, or loss.” This sounds a lot like real love.

What Is the Difference Between King David and King Saul?

May 28, 2018February 4, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. -Psalm 51:11

Have you ever seen a leader fall from a high position? King David did. By witnessing what happened to King Saul, he saw firsthand what would occur if the Holy Spirit’s anointing left a man. King David had to have been thinking of King Saul when he penned those famous words in Psalm 51:11.

In Psalm 51 David is repenting over a massive sin he committed with Bathsheba. Just like King Saul, King David rebelled against God at certain times in his life. The Holy Spirit’s anointing, however, left King Saul and remained on King David. Why was one able to recover from rebellion while the other couldn’t? What’s the difference between King David and King Saul?

Part 2: How to Overcome Sexual Sin

January 7, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

How to Overcome Sexual Sin?

If you’re anything like me, when you make a mistake, the first thing you do is try to make it right. Maybe you did this as a kid. You hurt one of your friends or younger siblings, and rather than let them get you in trouble, you offered them a deal, “Don’t tell mom. Here, punch me back, pay me back.” And then once they took their retribution, you made sure to over embellish how bad it actually hurt to ensure you would be dept free.

Psalm 51 does not start that way. If you do anything other than pray to God after you sin sexually, you are relying on something other than the power of God for your freedom. If you try and make it right by doing something good because you are seeking to make up for something you did bad, you are relying on your works rather than God’s grace.

David doesn’t make promises to God or try to cut a deal to pay for his sexual sin. Instead he turns to God in prayer.

What Does the Bible Say About Taking Care of Your Body?

January 1, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Bible Verses: John 21:12-15, 1 Kings 19:4-9

Life is exhausting, especially when we are seeking to please the Lord and we have failed. Nothing wears us out like our own sin. In times of failure and exhaustion, we know we need a touch from God, but sometimes we can’t hear him. So what should we do?

While there are many spiritual answers that would be appropriate (read the word, pray, fellowship with other believers, resist the devil), the Bible often points to one aspect of our life that we frequently devalue: taking care of our bodies.

Is Solitude Good or Bad?

December 24, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Is solitude good or bad? Does solitude help or hurt our Christianity? Is solitude an ingredient for hearing God?

Yesterday, I was doing some cardio on the treadmill in my basement while listening to an audio format of the Bible. I was tracking pretty well with what was being read to me, but then the heater came on. I could still hear the words quite clearly, but I could also hear the heater. I only realized my mind was drifting into the worthless space of “lala land” when the heater finally clicked off. Suddenly it was much easier to simply hone in on the words being read.

3 Reasons to be Thankful for the Gospel

November 26, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

It’s Thanksgiving and there is so many reasons to be thankful. James 1:16-18 states, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

It’s so easy to “be deceived” in thinking that we should accredit God’s blessings to other sources. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,” therefore God is the primary one who deserves our thankfulness.

Above all God’s gifts is the gospel of Jesus Christ, for “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” The gospel gives us endless and countless blessings. Here are at least 3 reasons Christians can be thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What Should I Do When I Am Struggling to Pray?

May 10, 2016November 20, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Struggling to pray? All true Christians want to pray more than they do. But all Christians, if they are being honest, go through seasons where praying is a challenge. To help overcome this barrier to prayer, it helps to ask, “How did Jesus pray?”

By studying Jesus prayer time in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46), we can discover at least four practical things Jesus did in prayer.

Part 3: Keeping a Biblical Perspective in Pain

November 5, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Every great story must go lower before it goes higher. To feel the joy, exuberance, and utter relief that all turned out beautifully in the end, you will have to go through the scenes that make you feel this could never turn out for good.

Part 2: Keeping a Biblical Perspective in Pain

November 4, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Bible Verses: “So the sisters [Mary and Martha] sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” (John 11:3-6)

Part 1: Keeping a Biblical Perspective in Pain

November 4, 2015November 2, 2015 by Mark Ballenger

Sometimes Jesus shows his love for us by doing exactly what we asked. Sometimes he shows his love by healing our sickness or by protecting us from danger. Sometimes he shows his love by sparing us of pain. But sometimes . . . sometimes Jesus shows his love through the pain he allowed to happen in our lives.