One day in sixth grade, we attended a school-wide assembly. Everyone gathered in the lunch room to watch a display by a local Taekwondo school. I knew that Paul, my buddy across the street, took classes there, so I was on the edge of my seat. For about forty-five minutes, the men punched and kickedContinue reading “You Are Stronger Than You Think You Are. Joshua 16 & 17.”
Tag Archives: 1 Corinthians 10:13
Replace Self-Affirmations with God’s Affirmations. Psalm 139.
Are you familiar with self-affirmation? Merriam-Webster defines SELF-AFFIRMATION as “the act of affirming one’s own worthiness and value as an individual.” An article[1] online reports real-life examples of celebrity self-affirmations: Lizzo says, “I started talking to my belly this year.” Every day she tells her belly the following: “You deserve all the space in theContinue reading “Replace Self-Affirmations with God’s Affirmations. Psalm 139.”
MEMORIZE: Replace Your Thoughts With God’s Thoughts! Jeremiah 15:16.
Imagine with me: You are an unhappy young person, low-key depressed. You think you are happy, maybe, at least while scrolling on your phone. But all you get on social media is ads and sales pitches from influencers and pointless videos of car crashes, street fighting, two kids dancing, concert clips, comedy clips, storytellers goingContinue reading “MEMORIZE: Replace Your Thoughts With God’s Thoughts! Jeremiah 15:16.”
THAT’S PRACTICAL. My Johnny Derouen Story. Psalm 27:4.
Image: Johnny Derouen’s first day at FBC Houston, spring of 1984. Also pictured, Joel Nettles. Photo courtesy of Lance Vinson. The story goes that in the early ‘80s, Associate Pastor Felix Wagner interviewed 70-some people before he found the right man for the job. Let’s call it 77—the perfect number. After a two-year quest, FirstContinue reading “THAT’S PRACTICAL. My Johnny Derouen Story. Psalm 27:4.”
HOW DO YOU RESIST TEMPTATION? Genesis 20:3-7.
My college philosophy professor had once been extremely overweight, but through a doctor’s care had shed the excess weight and has kept it off for decades. How? He would say, “just eat less!” To him, weight loss was a simple matter of willpower. If you need to lose weight, stop eating all the bad things.Continue reading “HOW DO YOU RESIST TEMPTATION? Genesis 20:3-7.”
Can You Resist All Temptations? 1 Corinthians 10:13
Oscar Wilde said, “I can resist anything except temptation.” That’s funny. What a great line. Have you ever faced a difficult temptation? (All temptations are difficult, aren’t they?) Do you make excuses? Do you give in because you had a bad day? Or because you are sick, or tired, or hungry? Do you tell yourselfContinue reading “Can You Resist All Temptations? 1 Corinthians 10:13”
FREEDOM AND SLAVERY. Galatians 4:9, 5:1.
Ever watch MY STRANGE ADDICTION? How can eating glass be addicting? Or drinking deodorant? Owning cats? Smelling gasoline? Eating plastic bags? Snorting baby powder? Eating rocks? Being stung? Eating your husband’s ashes? (Google it.) Heroin is addicting, right? And alcohol and tobacco? But these people on TV are fakes, right? Wrong. You can be addicted—enslaved—toContinue reading “FREEDOM AND SLAVERY. Galatians 4:9, 5:1.”
EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION. John 8:31-34.
Which of the following are addictive? Drugs. Porn. Violence. Pain. Eating glass. Eating dirt. Tobacco. Marijuana. Chocolate. Alcohol. Gambling. Gaming. Sports. Screens. Cell phones. Exercise. The Bachelor. Plastic Surgery. Dieting. Tattoos. Shopping. Tanning. Hoarding. Diet soda. Chewing ice. Sadness. Worry. Rejection. I hope you chose all of the above. Not all addictions are the same—butContinue reading “EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION. John 8:31-34.”
Toxic Sexuality.
People talk about so-called “toxic masculinity” these days, arguing about what that might be. But there is something much more toxic than masculinity: toxic sexuality. God created sex. He designed it to be a wonderful gift within marriage. But people have invented hundreds of ways to twist and pervert this sacred gift, turning it intoContinue reading “Toxic Sexuality.”
Is Fear a Factor?
Do you struggle with fear? What about fear’s minions: WORRY, ANXIETY, DREAD, PHOBIAS, and certain kinds of STRESS? Familiar with those? What can be done about fear? Is fear up to you, or do you have no choice in the matter? Moses commanded the people: “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or terrified”Continue reading “Is Fear a Factor?”
Household Words: 