“You are controlled by your new nature if you have the Spirit of God living in you . . . ” -Romans 8:9 (TLB) A harnessed horse contributes much more to life than a wild donkey. Energy out of control is dangerous; energy under control is powerful. God does not discipline us to subdue us, but to condition us for a life of usefulness and blessedness. In His wisdom He knows that an uncontrolle
Audio version hereJohn 16:22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. (NIV)One of the very first Sunday school lessons that I can remember was all about Joy. My teacher asked our class what joy was and we all answered with the usual “being happy,” “smiling,” and “laughing out loud.” She then asked us if we knew what real joy was, which puzzled the class. Hadn’t we just explained it to her?Our teacher put up the letters J-O-Y on her flannel graph board. “Real joy,” she continued, “happens when you put Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last.” It was a simple lesson, a beautiful truth, and a life-long message. I’ve never forgotten what she said, and I’ve tried to put it into practice throughout my life. And when I do, I rediscover that simple truth again and again.When Jesus was talking to his disciples about joy, He was referring to the joy of the Resurrection. They didn
Audio version here2 Corinthians 12:7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. (NIV)Years ago, I used to go bramble picking with my brothers, usually during the Fall. I think that you call brambles ‘blackberries’ over here. They look like dark colored raspberries and they grow wild in Scotland. They have a bitter sweet taste to them, but you can make a delicious jelly with them, which our mum used to do when we brought them home.To get to the biggest and sweetest brambles, you have to be willing to fight your way through some really nasty thorns. In order to pick the brambles off the thorns, you cannot use gloves. Inevitably, my brothers and I would all come home with painful thorns stuck in the palm of our hands. So as well as making jelly, sewing our ripped clothes, mum had to be our nurse by removing the thorns with tweezers. In the end it was worth all of t
Romans 2:8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (NIV)
For a long time, I have wanted to read the works of an ancient presbyter called Tertullian. He lived during the second century AD and spent most of his life fighting the heresies that were prevalent in the Early Church. His writings laid the foundation of much that we
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. (NIV)
Sometimes I think that I have the best of both worlds. I enjoy my career and at the same time I get to serve the Lord in all that I do. The last time that I worked for myself was about thirty years ago when I was a clerk for a housing association. I earned my pay by doing as much as I
Proverbs 21:26 All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing. (NIV)
Recently, we’ve had to fix a major repair over at Erin Presbyterian church. Our current building is about 55 years old, and in this part of the country, that’s almost antique! I know that Scottish churches go back centuries, but over here the extreme weather conditions and heat causes buildings to
Hebrews 13:21 (May God) equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (NIV)
Our church has been growing steadily for the past four years. Through God’s blessings, we’ve managed to breathe new life into our congregation and we are beginning to outgrow ourselves. We’re at an
1 Peter 2:16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. (NIV)
Our town, Knoxville, Tennessee, has been rocked by the corrupt practices of our local government. Our local newspaper, the News-Sentinel, has at last lived up to its name by bringing a law suit against the Knox County commissioners who made backroom deals with regard to replacement
John 12:21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus."
This is one of my favorite verses from the Bible because it encapsulates the work of the church. Congregations can get caught up in building programs, financial campaigns, and missional projects, but in the end, if no one comes to see Jesus, then they’re busy doing
Audio version here
Daniel 2:18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. (NIV)
A lot has been made of yesterday’s visit by the President of Iran to Columbia University in New York. I watched the live debate yesterday because it was an historical moment. Right from
1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (NIV)
Doctrine is a word that we don’t use very often these days. We tend to associate it with the word ‘dogmatic’ and so it has some negative connotations for a society full of free-spirited people. The New Testament Greek word for doctrine is
I haven’t been writing many devotionals lately, so I’m going to start. I think there should be some explanation of what I intend to do here. First, I know that there are many folks who read my blog who are not ‘Christian’ and many who do not see the Bible as an authoritative document. There are others who read this who will understand the Bible passages I reference as God’s Word and it will carry that authority. I hope these brief devotional thoughts (which I intend to write weekly on Sundays, not Daily yet) will be beneficial for both types of readers. For some this will be an authoritative and challenging word to pursue their faith even further. For others, I hope this will be an informative lesson into the teachings of Jesus Christ. The title of my blog, Trying to Follow, is a reference to my attempt to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. My life has been changed by Jesus and his words, my hope is they have an impact on you as well, regardless of you
