Becoming so heavenly minded that we are of some earthly good.
No is a powerful and important word.
And now that I have a 1-year-old daughter I use it now more than ever.
“No Emma, don’t touch that!”
“No Emma, don’t crawl up the stairs!”
“No, Emma don’t take Daddy’s chess pieces!”
I say no a lot.
But I’m also learning that saying no is important in other areas of life.
Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.
Do you want to know one of the biggest lies the enemy has told us?
Lie: you’re playing defense, not offense (as you hold the ball in your hands and say, Really?)
Truth: you’re on offense (that’s why the ball is in your hands) and the only hope the enemy has is to convince you otherwise.
Here’s what I mean.
God has all power and all authority. Not only is He winning. He’s already won.
Jesus defeated the enemy at the Cross and recaptured the keys of the kingdom.
In other words, Jesus stripped the enemy of his power and authority (which he received when man fell) and delegated it to the church.
Yet many Christians live contrary to this reality. They’ve believed the lie that says, “You’re not powerful. You’re weak and defeated.”
They think they’re destined for a continual struggle against the enemy. Continue reading
Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.
Hixson Bridge at Shevlin Park
Last week an old friend, and fellow Christian, messaged me on Facebook to let me know he thought some of the Christian charismatic leaders I followed were “false teachers.”
I didn’t (and still don’t) agree with him. But that’s not the point.
There are enough blog posts, Facebook comments and even entire books dedicated to, what I’ll refer to as “Christian Disagreements.”
But so few resources on how to walk in unity and how to honor those you disagree with.
It’s like we’re experts at arguing, persuading and debating (which I confess, I do a lot of) but almost entirely ignorant on how to walk in unity.
And I think something is wrong with that.
So instead of writing my friend back right away, I took a day to think it over. I wanted to not only get my thinking right but also my heart right before I responded.
Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.
Should you be more introspective?
Well, it depends what kind of life you want.
If you want to rob yourself of joy, stunt your spiritual growth and become a more self-absorbed person than yes, by all means, you should be introspective.
But seriously, think about it.
Have you ever felt empowered after an intense time of introspection?
Did you examine all your motives and then walk away feeling refreshed and closer to God?
If you’re like most people then probably not.
And why would you?
The nature of introspection is to look for things that are wrong in your life. Areas of your life that need to be corrected. Trying to judge yourself according to your own internal belief system.
And from my experience (and observation of many well meaning Christians) introspection does little to change your life for the better.
Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.
What Kind Of Nature Do You Have?
The “sin nature” is a subject that is taught, preached and studied extensively in the church today.
Conversely there isn’t much focus on what it means to be a “new creation” in Christ.Think about it for a moment. How often do you hear the sin/human nature mentioned in a sermon compared to the “inward man” or the “new creation”?
If you’re like most Christians you’ve been taught about the sinful, fallen and corrupt nature of man far more than you have about being a new creation.
It’s as if what Adam and Eve did was more important (or powerful) than what Christ did.
And it’s a tragedy. When we neglect to teach Christians the truth about what it means to be a new creation we do a terrible disservice. We end up with Christians and churches who are completely ignorant of the abundant spiritual life available and who continue to strive against sin. Plus, it makes having a real relationship with God almost impossible.
Here’s why…
Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.
It’s been a good 10 months since I’ve posted here.
And I’m tired of letting this blog sit here and collect dust while I wait for “inspiration” to strike. So I decided to commit to posting on here at least every other week (If more than 14 days go by without a new post you have my permission to email me and ask what’s up… my email is [email protected]).
The truth is I have 23 “draft” posts I’ve written but haven’t published on here.
Why?
Well I have two excuses reasons:
1. My struggle with perfectionism
2. I’ve allowed myself to become too busy
OK. Enough about me and my excuses. Bottom line: I’m back.
Now let me ask you a question:
Do you ever feel like you need to “make a comeback” after it’s been a long time since you’ve done something you think you should’ve been doing all along?
Let me explain… Continue reading
Josh is a Christian entrepreneur who lives in Central Texas with his wife and 4 kids.
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