Are you caught in the sin of legalism? Do you deem your religious efforts as warranting a reward from God? Contrastingly, you might be seeking license to maintain control of your own life apart from Him, loosely dismissing the morality that He wrote on your heart. When the Pharisees and teachers of the law sought […]
The Woman Caught in Adultery: Legalism or License? (John 8:8)
The Woman Caught in Adultery: Temptation | Cause and Effect (John 8:7)
When Satan tempts his prey, he hides cause from effect, falsely promising short-term pleasure will offer much greater value than any long-term pain. This was the case both for the stone-hearted Pharisees and teachers of the law along with the sand-hearted woman caught in adultery. The accusers had operated in blind religious sin, the accused […]
The Woman Caught in Adultery: Sand (John 8:6b)
Are you mistaking God’s mercy for license? This was the risk of the woman caught in adultery who the Pharisees and teachers of the law brought to Jesus to set a trap for Him. If He administered justice, He would break the Roman law that required a trial before capital punishment. If He demonstrated mercy, […]
The Woman Caught in Adultery: Guilt vs. Shame (John 8:5-6a)
Do you struggle with shame? Are you constantly feeling the pain of humiliation or distress caused by focusing on a past sin or foolish choice that has affected your life? It might stem from a misunderstanding of God’s heart of justice. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees saw God as judgmental. Consequently, they […]
The Woman Caught in Adultery: Stones (John 8:1-11)
Are you in a struggle to determine whether you apply justice or mercy in your interpersonal conflict? Jesus was presented with this dilemma when the Pharisees orchestrated a trap for Him with the woman caught in adultery. If He administered justice, He would break the Roman law that required a trial before capital punishment. If […]
Fully Surrendered Leaders Embrace Integrity Over Deceit: What is Integrity, and Where Does a Leader Find It? (1 Thessalonians 1:11-12)
Paul believed a leader should be full of integrity: “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 1:11-12). Two thousand years ago in the […]
Fully Surrendered Leaders Embrace Integrity Over Deceit: A Deceptive Leader’s Trickery (1 Thessalonians 2:3)
Can you think of a time when a leader deceived you? How did it make you feel? Deception is one of the most difficult behaviors for someone to endure because it tricks its victim into a trap. Fully surrendered leaders embrace integrity over deceit. The Apostle Paul referenced the behavior of charlatans of his day […]
Fully Surrendered Leaders Embrace Authenticity Over Flattery (1 Thessalonians 2:5, 10)
Have you ever complimented someone because you wanted something in return? That’s flattery, which is outside God’s design for a Christ-follower. Paul clearly expressed to the church in Thessalonica: “You know we never used flattery” (2 Thessalonians 2:5). Instead, he and his team led with authenticity: “You are our witnesses, and so is God, of […]
Fully Surrendered Leaders Embrace Generosity Over Greed (1 Thessalonians 2:9)
Are you constantly searching for more? Maybe you are pursuing the next deal, a new truck, a bigger boat, a larger house, a better company, greater achievement, the best nonprofit ministry, or even more to merely survive. Paul cautioned against a self-centered mindset that always wants more. Fully surrendered leaders embrace generosity over greed. They […]
Gentleness Restores a Leader’s Relationships Three-Dimensionally (Matthew 5:5)
Harshness destroys relationships, but gentleness restores them. Jesus taught: “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5 NASB). When leaders surrender to power under the Spirit’s control, they experience the blessings of God three-dimensionally. First, gentleness restores our relationship with God. Jesus said that His gentleness restores our souls (see Matthew […]
Gentleness Satisfies a Leader’s Desires (Matthew 5:5)
Do you have a reputation for being harsh? Something flawed inside each of us says that we can get what we want when we are harsh. Whether at the airlines counter or the fast food line, in the checkout aisle or the exit lane, on the basketball sidelines or the telephone line, we believe that […]
Fully Surrendered Leaders Embrace Gentleness Over Harshness (1 Thessalonians 2:7)
Great leaders are born out of suffering and opposition (see 1 Thessalonians 2:2). In our Western culture, we tend to think they come from affluence and support, but the Bible reveals a far different dynamic, one that teaches the strongest steel is made in the hottest fire. The Apostle Paul communicated four characteristics of a […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Encouraging (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Can you think of a person who has encouraged you? Now think of someone who discouraged you. Here’s the big question. Which one most resembles you? In our final characteristic of CUTE GIRLS MADE, we see that God calls both males and females alike to be encouraging. The Apostle Paul instructed: “Therefore encourage one another […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Discerning (Proverbs 11:22)
A father shared with his young daughters: “Don’t ever be more beautiful on the outside than you are on the inside.” Our culture hammers females with the opposite message, carrying the false promise that makeup, tanning, a new hairstyle, designer clothing, jewelry, piercing, tattoos, Botox, or an augmentation will heal the ache inside your soul. […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5)
When we consider following God’s design for our lives, we want to know how close we can get to the line without getting into trouble. Yet, more often than we realize, we actually cross the line, and every time we pursue life apart from God, we die inside. This demise of our souls kills enthusiasm […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Modest (1 Peter 3:3-4)
Sex sells. Advertisements, social media architects, and Hollywood bombard their audiences with the message that a woman can gain the pursuit of any suitor if she reveals her body in a sensual manner. However, God created each female with a purpose to uniquely draw others, including her husband, to Christ (see 1 Peter 3:1-2). The […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Submissive (Ephesians 5:21-22)
Are you submissive to your mate? Something about the word submissive stirs up a negative connotation in our Western culture, where we are conditioned to gain the upper hand in any relationship. However, submission is actually a positive concept. God’s design for females can be communicated through the acrostic: CUTE GIRLS MADE. When we examine […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Loving (Ephesians 5:1-2)
How do you demonstrate love? Is it in a touch, a glance, a word or phrase, or even in a particular act? God designed for each of us to love in a way that draws others to Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way […]
The Day the Colors Came Alive (Ephesians 2:10)
The Artist imagined as He peered at the blank canvas He had stretched and prepared for His unparalleled work. He brought red, yellow, and blue, stirring them to create orange, purple, and green. As His finger spread the colors on His paint board to test their capabilities, red began to speak, “I think the entire […]
CUTE GIRLS MADE: Respectful (Ephesians 5:33)
How do your behavior and speech demonstrate respect for your husband or your future lifelong mate? In the thirteen traits of God’s design for a female, He calls each woman to be respectful. The Apostle Paul taught: “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must […]