The Work of the Holy Spirit V
As we begin this fifth and final installment of this series, it is important to be reminded of the foundational truth that has undergirded this entire series: God doesn’t give us things; he only gives us more of himself. It’s All About Functioning We are continuing with our study on the work of the Holy Spirit, which are actually the functions of the Holy Spirit within the Body of Christ as we have established in previous posts . We have learned how functioning is not about d
The Work of the Holy Spirit IV
In this fourth installment of our series on the work of the Holy Spirit, we need to remember this underlying truth as we are studying this topic: God doesn’t give us things. He only gives us more of himself. The focus of this series has been how the Holy Spirit functions within the Body of Christ. We have talked about how functioning is not about doing certain things. It’s about being what you were created to be. Functioning is an organism’s natural activity. It’s an innate t
The Work of the Holy Spirit III
This is the third installment and in a five-part series on the work of the Holy Spirit. As we begin, let’s review a little bit about what we have learned so far. In the first two parts, we learned that the gifts of the Holy Spirit aren’t exactly the kind of gifts that we are accustomed to. They’re not the kind of gifts or presents that we give and receive at Christmas, holidays, and birthdays. Instead of being “gifts,” they are actually functions of the Holy Spirit. Functions
The Work of the Holy Spirit II
This is the second installment in our series about the work of the Holy Spirit. In the first post, we talked about who the Holy Spirit is and learned more about his purpose within the Body of Christ. We also discovered that the phrase “Gifts of the Holy Spirit” can be a little misleading. Gifts of the Holy Spirit When we think about gifts, we generally think about birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, graduation gifts, and wedding gifts. These kinds of gifts are things that are gi
The Work of the Holy Spirit: Part I
This is the beginning of a 5-part series about the work with the Holy Spirit. To say that there has been a lot of confusion and contention regarding the work of the Holy Spirit since the birth of the Church would be an understatement. There are times when just the mention of the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit can create consternation and chaos within a local church body. It is sad that we have allowed what was meant to unify us to instead cause so much division and se
Hidden Treasure: Things That Separate
David wrote in Psalm 119:162, “I rejoice at your Word as one who finds great treasure.” The Scripture is full of treasures, and our “treasure” for this post is found in Romans 15:1-2 where we read, “We who are strong, ought to bear with the feelings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors, for their good to build them up.” Please our neighbors? I don’t even know most of my neighbors. Why should I please them? Perhaps this phrase, “p
The Advent of Love
Advent is the four week period leading up to Christmas. As we have learned in the previous posts, Advent is a time of preparation, of reflection, of expectation, and for remembering. Advent should be a time of longing for the kingdom that is to come and a time of meditation and prayer. It is also a time of penance when we examine our hearts and address what we find there. During the first week of Advent, the focus is hope. Hope is the eager expectation for the fulfillment of
The Advent of Joy
As Christmas draws nearer, the level of excitement in children increases. As a former teacher, I can attest to this fact and having a full moon at the same time doesn’t help matters either. As adults, we can get excited about the holidays, too. We look forward to the decorations, the festive holiday events, time off from work, and the ready availability of cookies. As believers in Christ, we are also reminded of the true meaning of the holiday – the birth of Jesus, our Savior
Permission to Play
In any given year, teachers generally have about 180 days, which is only 36 weeks or 1,260 hours, to teach the state adopted standards to their students. While the mandates of NCLB and threats of not meeting AYP may be gone from current ESSA legislation, teachers and school administrators continue to face a myriad of pressures to ensure levels of student achievement continue to rise. With such a limited amount of time and high stakes assessments looming, expert teachers must
The Advent of Peace
This is the second installment of our four-part Advent series. Advent is the season of the year leading up to Christmas. which is the first advent of Christ. It is the four-week period preceding Christmas Day with each week focusing on a specific quality or attribute of our Christian faith. Celebration of Advent The celebration of Advent is multi-faceted and touches many areas of our lives. The Advent season serves as a reminder of what Christmas is truly all about. It celebr
