The Encouragement Blog

Most of us are familiar with Saul’s “Road to Damascus” experience where he met Jesus, fell from his horse, accepted Christ…and was blinded by the light. For three days after Saul’s encounter with Jesus, he sat around in a room, blind, probably wondering what was going to happen next. What happened next is that God sent a Christian brother named

Last month our virtue was Patience. Love – Passive… We labeled it the least favorite of all virtues since patience requires discipline, silence and is usually lacking of any recognition whatsoever. Being patient is tough and mastered only by the spiritually mature. This month our virtue is Kindness. Love – Active. Love and Patience are really two different sides of

The apostle Paul, before his conversion and name change was known as Saul. Saul was a very well educated man on the fast tract to the High Priesthood. Sort of like going to Harvard undergrad with a Stanford MBA. But Saul, as he persecuted the early Christian church squandered his talent and intellectual prowess for a reputation of violence and

When our identity/serenity and self-worth are based on the approval of someone else or on our performance, we have abandoned the acceptance of Jesus and the peace and serenity that that acceptance offers. When we are anxious about not doing the right thing for fear of loss of love, reprisal or dismissal, we have traded the true gold of God

On one hand, salvation is a simple matter. When we trust Jesus to take away our sins, we are made right in God’s sight. C. S. Lewis said, “The central Christian belief is that Christ’s death has somehow put us right with God and given us a fresh start.” On the other hand, salvation is a serious matter—it cost Christ

Comic actor Dennis Miller said in one famous rant, “Guilt is simply God’s way of letting you know that you are having too good a time.” There is truth in that statement, but God has higher uses for guilt in our lives. God places the feelings of guilt in our moral consciousness for good purposes. All of us have done

As we unpack what Henry Drummond wrote in his essay on Love entitled; The Greatest Thing in the World, we begin with Patience. Other words that describe Patience are: long-suffering, perseverance, tolerance and persistence. It is probably fair to assume that Patience is the least popular of all the virtues Paul lists in 1 Corinthians 13, the treatise on Love.

Henry Drummond, 1851-1897, lived in Scotland and was known for his clear thinking theology and concise arguments in favor of the Gospel. His best-known essay is called The Greatest Thing in the World. This classic, short essay unpacks 1 Corinthians 13, perhaps the most famous chapter in the entire Bible. This chapter explores and dissects love. Love, is first contrasted

Great fighters have destructive one-two punches—a right cross and a left hook. People who follow boxing know it’s the left hook that’s usually the knockout punch. Satan has a deadly left hook too. The reason many of us get discouraged and want to give up on ourselves and God is because we allow the devil to knock us out. Here’s

Adjusting our attitudes and seeking to follow Jesus to move on to a better lifestyle is something for which we all strive. But the reality is that the devil as well as our own sinful natures love sin and they make it hard to overcome what some call “besetting sins.” We know they are recurring because we see them showing