The Lie of Self-Actualization

We associate the multitude of choices as a freeing state when it instead imprisons us. We start making up our own subjective reasons for picking things. And by the inherent nature of the criteria, the second-guessing continues exponentially.
Simply having a lot of choices is not the same as having choices while having the discernment and [...]

“Do Hard Things”: More Than a Salesman

[Disclaimer: “do hard things” is not my own phrase but the title of the book Do Hard Things, but I like the authors' stance of opposing complacency and mediocrity.]
In a previous post I discussed Christianity’s inclusiveness as it applies to ourselves. This one is about how it applies to others, namely “witnessing.”
In our witnessing, we [...]

“Do Hard Things”: More than a Box

[Disclaimer: “do hard things” is not my own phrase but the title of the book Do Hard Things, but I like the authors' stance of opposing complacency and mediocrity.]
“Just a religion.” Is that what Christianity is?
Religion — if it’s what people normally think of religion — is missing the point: it’s the wrong attitude and the [...]

Spineless Politicians

“Compromise” is not the same as “arriving at the best solution.” Compromise is doing everything halfway and doing nothing; in contrast, arriving at the best solution requires a meaningful dialogue with the opposition that seeks to solve the desires of both sides instead of seeking to appease both sides with cosmetic concessions.
Guess which of the [...]

Preaching the Gospel, not Ethics

Too often we fall into the trap of comparing with other religions, or talking about ethics or “do unto others as you would have done to you.” We put aside the man on a tree, the Son of God who died for our sins. Look at Peter in the beginning of Acts: even in front [...]

What Others Think? The Missing Puzzle Piece to Caring or Not Caring

On one hand, we’re to not care what other people think. But on the other hand, what if other people see something we don’t? If a certain number of people think one way and some other think a different way, who am I to believe or should I ignore it altogether?
I think the missing puzzle [...]

Why We Can’t Pray for Others

A very striking message this past Sunday. It was about focusing on presenting the gospel: witnessing to others. The direct, spoken variety, not the indirect living-testimony type or “outreach” — there’s a time and place for that too, but honestly, a lot of times it’s simply something we hide behind.
The speaker talked about the first [...]

Sometimes, the Hardest Change is No Change

Unofficial Part II to “Why We Suffer”:
In an effort to be more cross-centered, I’ve uncovered a cross-centered biblical precedent to my own catchy phrase (title), born out of a time of anguish, and a grim pressing onwards.
In an extension of my previous post about the greatest injustice — injustice in judiciary systems, injustice in man, [...]

Forgetting our Fundamentals

Author’s note: All the links, save the one about the “ugliness of our sin,” are Bible references. I encourage those who want to look further to check them out. I made an effort to keep them as short as possible while keeping it in context.
We wear crosses, we wear those WWJD bracelets, yet I’d say [...]

Why do We Suffer?

This is Part 1 of a series of posts on trials and suffering (Initial Post, Part 2)
We suffer because we need to be reminded that we need God: we need Him to give us discernment, to satisfaction our real needs, to show us how to live life as He originally designed.
Sometimes I wonder if sometimes [...]