The Greek word for grace is charis, and there’s no question of its importance in biblical theology. Charis appears 116 times in the New Testament. There’s a lot about grace in Scripture because it’s the message of Jesus. Grace means favor. It means acceptance. It means giving. Grace is free in the sense that something done or given in grace is done so without expecting to receive anything in return. Grace isn’t dependent on the way it’s received, the moral goodness of the one receiving it, or even that person’s ability to rightly … [Read more...]
Friendship in a Facebook World
It happened to me recently. I got an alert on my iPhone that I had received a friend request on Facebook. I pulled up that person's profile only to find I didn't recognize the person's name or profile photo in the slightest. Faced with only two options (Confirm or Delete), I created a third option - I did nothing. I left their request sitting there. My wife and I talk about friendship in a "Facebook world" all the time. She lovingly calls me a "friend whore." According to her, I will accept friend requests from "anyone" (over … [Read more...]
Do Something
We live in a word-saturated world. We don't have to look far to find opinions; they find us. Glance through a blog, read a wall-post, scroll through your tweets, or flip through a textbook and you'll hear hundreds of voices clamoring to persuade you. Friends, professors, authors, coworkers, and the media argue controversial issues. Don't misunderstand; communication is great—we're wired for it. But something powerful happens when we replace talk with action, debating with doing, and speaking with serving. So, how do we do this? … [Read more...]
Advent: A Season of Long-Suffering
"Long suffering”—one of the fruits of the spirit—is a phrase that strikes the modern ear as more than a little odd. Today in North America, “to suffer” calls for immediate intervention: a financial stimulus, a pill, a new job, a new relationship. Anything to relieve our pain (however great or small). In fact, most of us wonder how suffering could ever be good, especially over a long period of time. Yet in Scripture, things happen on a different timetable, and terms take on new meanings. With God, a rapid response might take decades … [Read more...]
Lord, Have Mercy!
Éleos is Greek for “mercy” as it is defined by loyalty to God’s covenant; pity; compassion. God’s éleos is stunning, and the Book of Nehemiah highlights it along with our need for a Savior and the lengths He goes to prove His love and mercy to us. In Nehemiah 9:6, the people begin praising the Lord, rehearsing all the wonderful things He did from Abram to the present, beautifully recounting the mercy of the Lord. Then in verse 16, their prayer takes a turn. “But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did … [Read more...]
The Top 10 Creative Gift Ideas
It's Christmastime! We all know it's better to give than to receive. These 10 gift ideas will help you show your appreciation to your family without leaving you broke. 1. The Perfect Date - Give the family your quality time with a date to a coffee shop, a museum, or a day of shameless (and free) touring in your hometown. 2. Family Tradition - Whether you annually don matching sweaters or watch Christmas movie marathons, change it up with a new tradition. Pitch in a few dollars to help a needy family or donate to a charity such … [Read more...]
5 Tips for Building Genuine Relationships
Making and keeping friends isn't always an easy task. Sometimes, you have to put a little work into it. If you're looking for some simple ways to build genuine relationships (and keep them), try these five tips: Show Up Simple, right? Get outside every once in a while and do something other than the same routine. Play a sport, go to a mixer, or join a club. Do whatever it takes to stay in touch with people. Work in Public Sometimes you need to put your head down in a quiet place and get things done. Other times, however, you can … [Read more...]
3 Lessons Learned From Eavesdropping
I have a confession to make: I was eavesdropping on one of my recent flights. But let me explain… I situated myself in my aisle seat for a short hour and a half flight. I was prepared. I had some work tucked away in my backpack. I had some conversation with the businessman seated next to me. I also had a package of my favorite airline cookies to snack on. That’s when I heard three people break out into a loud laughter who were having a fun conversation. In the row behind me and across the aisle was a twenty-something with … [Read more...]
Are You Overcommitted?
Ever felt like you just don't have enough time to give to the things and people in your life who demand it? I find myself at this place of tension often. Being an extrovert, I love spending face-to-face time with people. Nothing brings more joy to my life than just being with the people. Because of this, I usually end up juggling multiple commitments that can be quite draining, sometimes leaving me wondering if I've offered anything good of myself to others. So what is the remedy for being overcommitted? Here are 3 ways to … [Read more...]
How To Distinguish Between Dating vs. Hanging Out
Something scares you. It’s not terrorism, economic recession, global warming, or gasoline prices that could hit 10 bucks per gallon by the time you’re done reading this. These things might worry you, but something else makes your palms sweat and your pulse hit triple digits: asking someone out on a date. That’s because asking someone out involves potential pain. If the object of your affection becomes aware of your intentions, he or she might not reciprocate, and that’s going to hurt. I don’t care if you’re the most self-confident, … [Read more...]