One of the complexities of Christianity is addressing sinful behavior. Some people make it a high priority to point out the sinful behavior of others, and that pushes people away. On the other side, some people don’t want to “judge” others, so are reluctant to address other’s sinful behavior.

In Ephesians 4, Paul is explaining how great it will be when the people of the church grow in their faith and knowledge and become “mature in the Lord.” What he writes in Ephesians 4:15 struck me as the way we should handle difficult conversations as Christians, “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.”

“Speak the truth in Love.” If only we could have this discipline to hold fast to right and wrong, the truth, but share and communicate with love and grace.

Dear Lord, you show us how to speak the truth in love through Your life in the Bible. Help us learn from the lessons, and show love to all, but never compromise our conviction and faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Most of us know the story of the farmer spreading seed in Matthew 13, where some of the seed fell on the path, some on shallow soil, some among the thorns, and some on fertile ground.

In Matthew 13:22 Jesus explains the meaning of the seed that fell among the thorns, saying, “The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.”

I think this situation affects many of us in the developed world. We may have been brought up Christian, possibly attending church regularly, but today, there are too many “important” things going on for us to “produce fruit.”

The amazing prosperity in our world has built powerful temptations that make it difficult to prioritize the time to study the word, attend Bible studies and church services. When we are not involved, we are unlikely to witness, invite others to worship, and most sadly, as parents we may be the ones who break the chain of connection to the peace, joy, hope, and Salvation of Christianity for our families.

There is hope! Every day is a new day. Take one step, Say a prayer, Read the New Testament, Listen to a good bible teacher on TV or the Radio, Find a Church home, and re-plant yourself in fertile soil so you can produce fruit.

Dear Lord, You know the challenges and temptations we face trying to prioritize you in our lives. Give us the strength to overcome these temptations so that we can re plant ourselves into the fertile soil and produce fruit. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I do not speak much French, (almost none) however, I ran across this expression and think it is a wonderful concept and description. Joie de Vivre (pronounced; zhwä-də-ˈvēvr) is defined as “a delight in being alive”

I think Psalm 36:7-9 conveys a similar idea, and attributes the cause of this joy for living to a relationship with God.

It says “How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.”

God is the source of of our Joie de Vivre. When we put our faith and trust in him, we can have a lighter heart and the Peace and Joy God offers.

Dear Lord, thank you for the Peace and Joy you give when we release our burdens to you and live in your “fountain of life.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

One of the necessities of life is making decisions with incomplete and imperfect information. “Do I buy the non-refundable airline tickets for the trip 6 months from now?” “Do I take the new job, or stay where I am?” “What curriculum should I choose?” “What college should I choose?” The problem with making these decisions is that we fear that we might learn something along the way that would have changed our decision.

Paul writes about this as it applies to our Christian life in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

We may not have the complete picture in order to make the perfect decision every time, but God does. Paul finishes this,, well known, text in verse 13 with, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” So if we put our faith and hope in God’s guidance and live in love for him and our neighbor, he will be there for us, and guide us on our journey through life.

Dear Lord, you know everything, our every thought, our secret hopes and dreams, and you have plans for each of us. Help us remember to trust your guidance to make decisions and take actions boldly, knowing that if we do things in obedience to you with love for others, you will protect and support us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Some of you may know that I had the privilege of being a fighter pilot for a long time in the US Air Force. One of the things we trained for routinely was called Basic Fighter Maneuvers (BFM) more commonly known as “Dog Fighting,” where two jets would maneuver through the sky in an effort to get in a position to shoot the other jet with guns or missiles. One of the most important concepts in this process was never to lose sight of the opponent. We had an expression that spelled it out “lose sight, lose fight.”

Somewhat similarly, Paul writes in Hebrews 12:1,2, “..And let us run the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith..”

We can endure the hardships and challenges of life, and the Christian life, by keeping our eyes on Jesus. When we look away and lose sight of him, we begin losing our fight with the temptations of life.

Dear Lord, Thank you for being the focal point of our faith. Help us remember to keep our eyes of faith on you so that we may be able to run the Christian race with endurance. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.