1 John 3:20 Most of us know someone who has a hyperactive sense of guilt. There are lots of jokes about being raised Catholic when this topic comes up. But some families are just better at imposing a sense of guilt on children than other families. Some spouses use guilt to force their willContinue reading “Guilty, but Not Guilty”
Tag Archives: 1 John
Spiritual Rest
1 John 3:19 Some today, and many in our culture, say that it is not possible to know the truth, because there is no such thing as truth. But then they get upset when their lives get ruffled by someone else’s beliefs. If there is no truth, then your truth is no truer thanContinue reading “Spiritual Rest”
Laying Down Your Life
1 John 3:16-18 Every now and then we read about a story of someone laying down their life to save another person. They jump in the cold water to rescue someone, but they don’t make it out alive themselves. Or they intervene in a fight and they end up getting shot stopping it. OrContinue reading “Laying Down Your Life”
Momentary or Lasting Hate
1 John 3:15 Hate is a serious thing. It leads to all sorts of awful outcomes if it is allowed to fester and if it is given power to act. When hatred is fanned into flame it can destroy nations. Hatred can be fanned for generations and become part of a culture. The “OneContinue reading “Momentary or Lasting Hate”
This Ain’t No Joke
1 John 3:14 What we believe determines what we do. And we can find out what people really believe by watching their life over time. We all have gaps between what we state we believe and the way we live our lives. Most of us can overlook small lapses in behavior if there isContinue reading “This Ain’t No Joke”
Christian Haters
1 John 3:13 One of the advantages of being a Jesus-follower is that people will hate us for no other reason other than our trust in Jesus. Now you might not see this as an advantage, but it is. It helps us identify those who need the Gospel message lived out before them. TheyContinue reading “Christian Haters”
The Power of Love
1 John 3:11-12 We often feel that hatred is more powerful than love. Hatred shows up in the headlines. Hatred makes for better stories, feeding our fears and anxieties. When stories of love are told, we are led to believe that love is so extraordinary that mere mortals like ourselves could never be thatContinue reading “The Power of Love”
Death by a Thousand Cuts
1 John 3:9-10 It is rarely the sudden events that shorten life. It is, instead, the many small bad choices over a long period of time that slowly kill you. But the bad choices along the way also lower the quality of life that you do experience. Very few people die because of gunshots.Continue reading “Death by a Thousand Cuts”
Walk the Walk
1 John 3:7-8 One of the most difficult tasks these days is to deny that evil exists and that people do evil things. Just open your favorite news site and you will see evil. You can see it in the beheadings and the mass kidnappings. You can see it in the greed that drivesContinue reading “Walk the Walk”
Oil and Water
1 John 3:5-6 Most of us know someone that we really don’t want to spend time with in the same room. There is a clash of personalities or a difference of opinion that gets expressed in an offensive way. And when you see that person you feel like heading to the door. You avoidContinue reading “Oil and Water”
The Arnold Journey 