Christian Life Articles

Ask Yourself This Question If You Want to Be a More Effective Communicator

On My Journey of Faith: I Began with the Person of Jesus

On My Journey of Faith: I Began with the Person of Jesus

My faith journey commenced with the person of Jesus Christ. I first had to answer this question: Is the report about who Jesus claimed to be, true?

What Did Jesus Believe About the Creation Account in Genesis?

What Did Jesus Believe About the Creation Account in Genesis?

Have you ever thought about what Jesus, whom Christians believe to be God incarnate, believed about the beginning? Yes, I understand the temptation to call this a silly question.

Ask Yourself This Question If You Want to Be a More Effective Communicator

Ask Yourself This Question If You Want to Be a More Effective Communicator

When my interpersonal dynamics professor asked that question one day during my sophomore year in college, it revolutionized my thinking as a nineteen-year-old male. That question sparked in my mind a realization that there were effective ways to communicate, as well as ineffective ways.

Navigating Church Conflicts: Eight Biblical Principles for Managing Disputes Among Christ-Followers (Acts 15:1-35)

Navigating Church Conflicts: Eight Biblical Principles for Managing Disputes Among Christ-Followers (Acts 15:1-35)

When a decision in the church must be made and cannot be ignored or delayed, how can it be made when there is disagreement among members?

Does Your Life Offer These Four Positive Effects for Unbelievers Watching You?

Does Your Life Offer These Four Positive Effects for Unbelievers Watching You?

Various Scripture passages challenge Christ followers to live their lives in such a way that unbelievers in Christ would not only see them as the real deal but also honor God and His Word.

Navigating Church Conflicts: Eight Biblical Principles for Managing Disputes Among Christ-Followers (Acts 15:1-35)

Does Your Life Offer These Four Positive Effects for Unbelievers Watching You?

Do You Want to Do God’s Will or for Him to Do Your Will?

Do You Want to Do God’s Will or for Him to Do Your Will?

I had my thinking challenged years ago when someone asked me, “Emerson, do you want God’s will for your life? Do you want God to work in your life in a powerful way, doing glorious things? Do you want God to really bless you?” I said, “Yes, of course.”

Have You Learned Yet What a “Sacrifice of Thanksgiving” Is?

Have You Learned Yet What a “Sacrifice of Thanksgiving” Is?

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, the apostle Paul reminded the church in Thessalonica, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (5:18). This is one of four times in which Scripture clearly tells us what the will of God is. I call these the four universal wills of God, and I have written about them extensively in my book, The Four Wills of God, and how our following these four universal wills of God can lead to learning His unique will for us in our individual lives.

The Marriage Mindset

Do you believe that if you have natural talents and passions in a specific area then your development of that gifting and pursuits of that interest should be a piece of cake? Or, do you believe that even though you have God-given abilities and deep-seated curiosities, you must exert time and effort because it won’t all be easy street? For example, Michael Phelps and LeBron James had within their DNA, traits the rest of us envy. Are these superstars world renowned because what they did was a piece of cake for them, as a result of their God-given abilities? Or, though genetically they might be considered freaks of nature, did they work hard at developing their talents?

The Marriage Mindset

Why Would Someone Not Want to Communicate That Which Is True?

Why Would Someone Not Want to Communicate That Which Is True?

In my book Before You Hit Send I quote a woman who said, "You know that little thing in the back of your brain that tells you not to say something before you say it? Well, I don't have that little thing.” I suppose all of us wonder occasionally if we lack that little thing in the back of our brains. We know that we are to think before we speak, but we end up saying something that we should not say.