In the Christian life, there are times of rest and times of struggle, and what we do when the sun is shining will often determine how well we will fare when the rains fall and the winds blow. It is usually the pleasant times when self-confidence becomes exaggerated that many professing Christians tend to chip … Continue reading Chipping Away Our Confidence in Christ
If fall were a person, she’d be an introverted poet and artist. She steps out of summer shyly, unsure if the world is ready for her. As she paints the leaves red and strips down the trees, and as the carved jack o’ lantern sitting out on the neighbor’s front porch grows mold and curls in on itself, she reminds us there is death, but for those who know, there is more than that.
Last week was a rough work week. First, it was exhausting due to its long hours. Second, my health gave me some trouble, and third, I dropped one of the many balls I have been juggling on a project, and now I am cleaning up the pieces. None of these issues were that significant in … Continue reading Recognizing the Curse in Our Work
Church is often dull because we think about it like secularists, not according to scripture. This world takes its stand against Christ, and Jesus tells us that as believers, we will have trouble. He also reminds us to take heart because he has overcome the world (John 16:33). For us to take heart, which leaves … Continue reading Why Church is Often Boring
Throughout history, we see the church expand and contract not only in size but also in terms of its faithfulness to Jesus Christ and his word. Today, in North America, the visible church as a whole seems to be in a time of decline. Many churches are shrinking or closing, and many others are giving into the … Continue reading The Remnant is Like a Fuse
My biggest struggle with daily devotions is not carving out the 20 to 30 minutes needed to read the word and spend time with God. The most difficult part is slowing down my heart and mind enough to get anything from it. Here is the challenge. I usually wake up to an endless list of tasks … Continue reading My Biggest Struggle with Daily Devotions
Let me introduce you to my dad, David Eaton. He has been a pastor for over 50 years, and if you spend time with him, you will soon be talking about the Lord. As long as I have been alive, he has been a man of prayer, so as you speak with him, you will … Continue reading A Pastor’s Testimony of Answered Prayer
With this truth in my heart, that God hears and answers prayer, I sit down determined to pray. Then, three or four sentences in, I am thinking about my to-do list at work or that I need to buy gasoline for the mower. I assume I am not alone in my struggle to stay on task while praying. With this in mind, here are three ways to mitigate mental drift while praying. CLICK TO READ MORE.
Being sick for three days gives you time to think about your frailty. Even if that sickness is only a flu virus that poses little threat to your life, the fact that you must withdraw from being productive to spend time in bed exposes your weakness, and that is not always a bad thing. This … Continue reading 3 Reflections on Sickness and the Christian Life
Often, the very things we need to grow are the same things we work to avoid because we think we are fragile. Scripture uses the metaphor of running a race to describe the Christian life on more than one occasion. In running the race, there are weights we should cast off and weights we should pick up if we are going to compete to win the prize. CLICK TO READ MORE...
The Fight of Faith 