Weekly Once-Over (2.26.2014)
Jesus and Tithing: Tithing, then, is an obedient thing to do. But we should not think of it as heroic and sacrificial and impressive. Tithing is Obedience 101. It is entry-level discipleship. When we tithe, we should be thinking, “Well, this is for starters. And I grow from here.” So let’s tithe. But let’s also press boldly into the demanding questions of justice and mercy and faithfulness, trusting and obeying Jesus no matter what the cost.
Why I Left Facebook: If anyone has glossed over this entire post until now, leaving Facebook doesn’t mean you (or I) have to leave relationships behind. For myself, I’m actively choosing to deepen the real relationships I already have, and create more space for new ones. I’m excited to see what my life is going to look like without Facebook.
Five Realities Ruining Your Prayer Life: Prayer is arguably the most important practice in the Christian life, yet often the most neglected. How do you explain that? Why do we desire to pray more, but struggle to do so? There is no one answer. There are a great number of realities that are ruining our prayer lives. Here are five...
This Is What Happens When Hip-Hop Lets The Saints In: Lecrae "makes being a Christian cool," Griffin, the BET director, said. "It doesn't feel preachy. It doesn't come off as holier than thou, but speaks to people's circumstances, experiences, and just life in general, just like regular hip-hop...
10 Connections Between Jesus And The Kingdom Of God: The kingdom of God is, in essence, God's redemptive reign. Yet it can be easy to overlook this prominent theme in the life of Jesus, and tempting to assume rather than investigate the importance of the kingdom for Jesus. When we miss the significance of the kingdom to Jesus, however, we can miss the significance of the kingdom for biblical theology and ethics.
Loving One Another Or Making One Another Feel Loved?: When it comes to being and making disciples we know that God wants us to love one another, but let’s be honest: that’s impossible. Instead of pushing into that feeling of weakness and depending on God’s Spirit to work in and through us, we reduce His commands to make us feel more comfortable. We reduce loving people to making them feel loved. We live in a postmodern world where love is determined by how we feel. If we don’t feel loved, then it’s not possible that we are loved. The problem is that communicating hard truths doesn’t always feel like love and there is a way to make people feel loved all day, and never actually love them.
Don't Be A Sexual Tourist: It is an easy thing, in some ways, to have sex with a woman. But it is a far more challenging, rewarding, and noble thing to pursue a woman, marry her, and remain devoted to her. That is the sort of sexual relationship that will satisfy for a lifetime.
The Bible's Answer To Human Struggle: You might not think the Bible says anything about your struggles. But if you dig deeper, you may find that the Bible actually knows you better than you know yourself.