It was a hot, sticky day just last summer. It was my day off from work and I had a rare few hours to myself as my wife and kids were out with friends. So despite the sun being at its hottest point, I decided to head up to the outdoor basketball courts to get some exercise. Hoping to play a few pickup games, I was disappointed to find no one at the courts. I guess most people are too smart to play basketball at this time of day during the hottest point of the year . . . .
Life is full of disappointing people. A swirl of emotions can overcome us when we hear the unspoken words written all over our spouse’s face, our boss’s tone, or the long pause on the phone with a friend. Our feelings of rejection, anger, annoyance, or despair in response to letting people down can completely take over our life. Letting someone down is something we all just want to avoid.
Here at AGW, we’ve been studying Psalm 51:1-19 specifically under the context of “How to overcome sexual temptation.” David wrote Psalm 51 as his prayer of repentance once he was convicted over his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah. Within Psalm 51, God uses David to lay out a road map on how to escape the snares of sin. As we come to Psalm 51:13-15, we’re taught that God’s grace is so powerful, not only will it set us free but it will cause us to help others be set free from sexual sin too.
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.
We’ve all felt it. That awkward, somewhat awful, stomach-sickening feeling you get when everyone in the room is thinking the same thing but no one wants to talk about it.
There are certain topics, no matter how undeniably present, normal people know better than to bring up. But it’s there, and everyone knows it’s there. Some of us will smile, some of us will smirk, and some of us will scowl, but most of us are not going to talk about the elephant in the room.
I find that the level of awkwardness that comes with a topic is often equivalent to its importance. People get uneasy when you bring up politics because political views are consequential. Talking about sex is so hard because we all know it is really significant. It’s so difficult for a police officer to knock on a parent’s door to tell them their teenager died in a car accident because this is such a serious situation. It’s far easier to talk about the weather, sports, or what your plans are for the holidays because these are insignificant.
Key Bible Verses: Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 6:1, Romans 16:17, Romans 14:4
One of the defining marks of a true Christian is a disdain and discernment for sin. When the Holy Spirit enters our hearts and as we grow in our walk with Jesus, we become more discerning to the sins both in us and in others. This is a great gift that benefits a heart seeking after God, but with each gift we receive comes a temptation to use it wrongly. So how do we use our discernment according to the Bible?
How to Use Discernment the Right Way
Discernment over sin should, of course, primarily be used to aid the believer in confessing and repenting of their own rebellion. For how are we to help others see clearly if we ourselves still have planks of sin in our own eyes (Matthew 7:1-5).
Does the Bible say being gay is a choice? All sin is a choice. Therefore, one way to answer “Does the Bible say being gay is a choice?” is to decide if being gay is a sin according to the Bible.
How do you get someone to forgive you? As hard as we try not to, we all sin against those we love. Sometimes it is difficult for them to forgive us.
Whether it’s because we keep sinning against them the same way or because the sin we confessed was so hurtful (like cheating/adultery), there are times in life when we will confess our sins to those we have hurt, but they will struggle to forgive us.
Thankfully the Bible talks a lot about forgiveness. Here are five truths found in Scripture that will help answer the questions, “How do I get someone to forgive me?”
Bible Verses:
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? –2 Corinthians 6:14-15
. . . she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. – 1 Corinthians 7:39 (NIV)
Should Christians date unbelievers? After all, if you are a Christian, can’t you seek to bring someone to Jesus through dating? God has used “missionary dating” for some, so why not for you?
As a single Christian, one of the questions which can dominate the thoughts is, “Who will I marry?” With so little Christians in the world, and even fewer who share the same interests as you, the odds are certainly stacked against a Christian guy or Christian girl seeking “the one.”
Whether it’s the common cold or a deadly cancer, physical pain is something every human will deal with. We all will be sick and we all will know people with a sickness. Sadly, enduring pain is just a part of living on this planet. Thankfully the Bible gives us specific counsel on how to endure seasons of pain and sickness.
The Bible explains that the only way to endure pain well is through Jesus Christ. Perfect health is not an option for ourselves or for those we love. Therefore, we must seek our satisfaction in Christ to get through physical sickness and pains of all sorts.