sanctification

Christian, Stop Saying You’re Sorry

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One of the core tenets of Christianity is the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47; Colossians 1:14). To put it another way, without the forgiveness of sins, the gospel of Jesus Christ ceases to make any sense at all. In that respect, the forgiveness of sins is an essential component of the gospel and, thus, a … Read more

Finding the Gospel in the NBA Finals

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Start Here The NBA Finals are upon us again. For the 8th straight year Lebron James leads a team from the Eastern Conference while the Goliath of the West, the Warriors, are looking to solidify themselves as maybe the greatest team ever to play. Here at Things Above Us, we like to talk about the gospel, … Read more

A Guide to Family Worship

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I did not grow up in a Christian family, so family worship was not something that was modeled for me when I was growing up. Additionally, my first decade as a Christian didn’t include a lot of teaching or discussion on the topic of family worship. So a few years ago when I became convinced … Read more

Making the Best Use of the Time

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The Will of the Lord In Ephesians 5:16, Paul instructs the church to make the best use of the time (commonly known as redeeming the time). The Apostle reminds his readers that the days we are living in are evil, and that only a fool would live in such a way that he is not … Read more

Recent Racist Rhetoric Reflections

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Hot Take My take on the recent rhetoric about race. There really is evil in the world in the form of racism. Like abortion, some Christians are on the front lines fighting that evil as the outworking of their faith in Christ. This is a good thing. Some Christians are victims‪ of racism as well. … Read more

Distorting the Gospel by Who You Eat With?

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We recently finished a Bible Intensive Retreat with the brothers from Christian Communicators Worldwide. This was my 5th Intensive and one of the best I’ve attended. We spent 2 days pouring over Galatians 1–2. There was much we learned, much we sharpened one another with, and much to still chew on. But I’d like to … Read more

From Death to Life – Book Update

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(Photo Credit: Stephen J. Melniszyn) I’ve had several people asking me about where I am on my current book project, so I thought I’d have a place where I could point folks to give them the latest on how things are progressing. I’m pretty new to this book writing thing. Not that I haven’t wanted to write before, but wanting … Read more

Do ALL Things Without Complaining?

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These guys complained and what happened next will shock you!
Remember Numbers 11? God takes complaining WAY more seriously than many of us think.

My wife posted the quote below on Facebook in regard to complaining:

If you are a sovereigntist, or one who believes in the absolute sovereignty of our God, and you gripe or complain about your circumstances, you’re being a hypocrite; for you demonstrate, with your words and by your actions, that you don’t actually trust God that He is in control. — Gabriel Hughes

One of the commenters offered a perspective I thought was worth considering:

What if I gripe and complain about my circumstances because I see my folly that led me into those circumstances? Yes, I’m a sovereigntist. And yet our God is also one who allows things to happen for his glory. It’s a fine hair because he is still ultimately in control in allowing me to make poor choices.

What follows is my response to that question.

God Really Is Sovereign

First, it is necessary to understand what it means that God is sovereign as well as believe that God is sovereign. That is, he is the supreme ruler, or ultimate power – absolutely. Possessing all power, God is thus able to create any potential circumstance. What we conclude from these facts is that, in a very real sense, we live in the best of all possible worlds. Yes, that is right. Because God is perfect and possesses absolute power and supremacy, we can be sure that there is no world of which we could conceive that would be better in an objective sense. That is to say, the reality we experience is the reality which ascribes to God the glory He deserves.

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Things Above Us?

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Colossians 3:1-2 is, in essence, the theme of this blog.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.[/perfectpullquote]

So how can a group of guys get together, entitle a blog “Things Above Us” in clear reference to scripture, then proceed to make sports one of the four pillars of categories alongside such heavenly minded topics as theology, evangelism and missions?

Let’s briefly (for word count purposes) examine Col 3:1-2. Mouse over the verse references to read them or just keep a copy of God’s Word open next to you or in another browser tab.

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It Hurts Right Here

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The Problem A few months ago I developed a tightness in my right Achilles tendon when squatting. When I would hit the bottom of a squat, I would feel a burning sensation where the tendon attaches to my heel. Realizing it was not correct, I stopped achieving full range of motion and began to treat … Read more