The writer of Hebrews tell us that the hope we have in Jesus serves as an anchor for our soul (6:19). And yet, many Christians live day-to-day feeling as if their circumstances leave them hopeless. Hope, for a Christian, is the expectation of something good. Hope is woven into the fabric of who we are as…
Here are some brief thoughts on a biblical understanding of the church from a Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling: The church is one (Eph 4:3-6) The church is one body with many functions; each member has a purpose (Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12-14) Together, Christians comprise God’s household, in which the Spirit of God lives…
Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7 to encourage him that God hasn’t given Christians a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control. What is self-control? Is having self-control a big deal? Should not having self-control concern us? If you’re anything like me there are areas in my life where I’ve…
A confrontation or rebuke is actually a good thing and all of us need to be confronted and rebuked from time to time. Tripp lays out several truths regarding biblical confrontation that are very helpful. Confrontation is rooted in a submission to the First Commandment. “A reliable indicator of our love for God is the quality…
Two paragraphs in Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus give us a powerful profile for testing our maturity levels in Christ (1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-10). The following list depicts spiritual qualifications from both letters: Overall spiritual maturity (a well-rounded man) Above reproach (a man of good reputation) The husband of one wife (morally pure/faithful)…
