If you’ve ever spent any time in the workforce, then I’m willing to bet that you’re well-acquainted with the idler and the meddler. Some people work harder at avoiding work than they do in actually performing their job. Paul calls them idlers, while we may know them more as slackers.…

Contrary to what our initial reaction may be, not all people-pleasing is wrong. Consider Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10, “Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage,…

Since there are hundreds of proverbs in the book we know as Proverbs, it can be helpful to condense or distill some of them down into a more manageable list. This can also help because often the proverbs are not arranged by topic. Instead, they are scattered throughout the book.…

At the first sound of it, the practice of church discipline can catch people off guard. Discipline can give off some pretty negative vibes. Plus, when we hear of discipline in the context of the church, it doesn’t fit in with our concept of a loving community. That’s where we…

How does Jesus challenge our fickle faith? One way he does this is by speaking hard truths. Jesus knew that some of his followers were only there for the benefits they received from following him. They were wowed by his miracles and diligently sought him only to get their “fill…

Everyone agrees that the Golden Rule is a good ethic to follow. Everyone agrees that it’s a principle they seek to live by. And yet, how often do we practice it? If we’re being honest, it doesn’t really seem that often! Rather, retaliation or manipulation seem to be the ethics…

Can you imagine grappling with God? Can you imagine wrestling with him, going toe-to-toe, mano a mano? We may use that language to express struggling with God, say in prayer. But Jacob physically wrestled with God. Let’s look at this strange encounter in Genesis 32 that occurs while Jacob is…