Following Christ English

3) Accept the Reality of Your Own Sin. “Gary,” the email read, “What does a wife do when her husband doesn’t love her like Christ loves the church?” The woman then shocked me by giving the rest of her story: “Before I got married, I read many Harlequin romances and I thought marriage would be like that. For a while it was, but then things cooled off. A couple years later, I found that exciting love once again by having an affair; but after a number of months, that too, cooled off.” At this point, she threw herself into the church, but after a while even God became boring. That’s when she “fell” into yet another affair that—no surprise, here—also eventually cooled off. In the aftermath of those two affairs, in which she wounded and humiliated her husband about as deeply as a wife can, she wrote to me, consumed with how her husband wasn’t loving her like Christ loves the church. Admittedly, this is an extreme example, but all of us have hearts that tend toward dismissing our

2) Accept the Reality of Human Marriage. During a Sacred Marriage conference, a woman came up to me and said, “I have a very difficult marriage…” “You don’t have to tell me you have a difficult marriage,” I answered. “That’s redundant!” It took a while for what I was saying to sink in, but eventually, it did, and the woman smiled. Because of the reality of sin, every marriage has difficult moments. We’re not marrying gods and goddesses! We’re marrying people that the Bible promises will stumble in many ways. How can that possibly be easy? Once I accept that marriage is inherently difficult, I’ll no longer resent it when my marriage is difficult. Disappointment and a lack of respect are often birthed out of unrealistic expectations. It’s not fair to compare your marriage to something you’ve seen in a movie or read about in a novel—that marriage isn’t real. And even if you see a marriage at church, you don’t know what’s really going on during less public moments. Because of m

1) Accept the Reality of Human Relationships. James 3:2 lays out the human condition as clearly and as succinctly as anyone can: “We all stumble in many ways.” Think about the impact of the words “all” and “many.” What James is telling us is that if you were to divorce your spouse, interview two hundred “replacement” candidates, put them through a battery of psychological tests, have follow-up interviews conducted by your closest friends, spent three years dating the most compatible ones, and then spent another forty days praying and fasting about which one to choose, you’d still end up with a spouse who disappoints you, hurts you, frustrates you, and stumbles in many ways. The word “all” means there are no exceptions. A new spouse might stumble in different ways, but he or she will still stumble. This is the reality of human relationships in light of sin. Your spouse is human; therefore, they stumble—and not just once or twice, but in many ways. Once I accept that my spous

So many people strive for one thing more than any other—peace. The reason they seek it is because there’s no lasting comfort or freedom in their lives. It’s like they are always unsettled. The Bible defines peace primarily in three ways. 1. Psychological peace , the comfort within. 2. Relational peace , harmony among humanity. 3. Spiritual peace , which is between God and man. The Bible outlines how sin damages or wipes out all three types of peace. When God created man, he was at peace with God, himself, and everyone else. However, that peace was lost when he turned against God. Peace can be restored, but we can’t do it alone. God provided a way. Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, was sent to our world to take away our sins. He did so by allowing Himself to be crucified, and it was that sacrifice that made it possible for us to have peace again—peace within ourselves, peace with each other and peace with God. After Jesus died on the cross, He came back to life. That demonstrate

Question. When I was young, we used to pray and read the Bible in school every day, but my grandchildren aren't able to experience this, and it upsets me a great deal..? Answer. I know this is a complicated political and legal issue, and I have no way of knowing if we will ever return to the patterns of the past. Unfortunately, the general trend in our society is certainly away from God and against any public expressions of faith. I hope you will keep several things in mind, however. First, no one can banish God from our hearts. If we truly know Christ, we know we can turn to Him in silent prayer no matter where we are. Do you remember Nehemiah in the Old Testament? He was an official in the palace of the pagan king of Persia, but when God gave him an opportunity to speak to the king on behalf of the Jewish people, Nehemiah prayed silently and then spoke: “I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king” (Nehemiah 2:4-5). Second, never forget the important place

Q. I actually made a New Year's resolution to read the Bible every day (like my grandmother did), but I got bogged down and finally gave up. Maybe you could give me some pointers. A. I’m thankful for your grandmother’s example; even if she didn’t realize it, she was showing you what is really important in life: living by God’s Word. She knew the truth of the Psalmist’s words: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). Let me suggest three things to help you get started with your reading of the Bible. First, use a modern translation you can understand; if you don’t already have one, your pastor or local Christian bookseller can give you suggestions. Be sure also it has type that’s easy to read. (My wife used to say that the devil liked nothing better than a Bible with print that was too small to read!) Second, start with one of the Gospels in the New Testament (I often suggest John). The reason is because the whole Bible points to Jesus Christ

Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3 With varying abortion laws throughout our country, it’s important to note what the Bible says about the issue. Throughout God’s Word, it’s clear that human life is precious to Him. More than ever, we need Biblical answers to questions regarding abortion and the sanctity of life. Billy Graham once said, “I know it’s common today to think of abortion as a simple answer to an inconvenient problem—but it is actually a far more serious issue. Your child isn’t simply a mass of tissue; he or she is a human being in God’s eyes.” Here are a few My Answers from the evangelist. * Q: Where in the Bible does it say abortion is wrong? A: Human life is sacred and of inestimable worth. * Q. Where in the Bible does it say that abortion is wrong, even murder? A: From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham Abortion has divided our nation like no other issue in recen

Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3 (ESV) With varying abortion laws throughout our country, it’s important to note what the Bible says about the issue. Throughout God’s Word, it’s clear that human life is precious to Him. More than ever, we need Biblical answers to questions regarding abortion and the sanctity of life. Billy Graham once said, “I know it’s common today to think of abortion as a simple answer to an inconvenient problem—but it is actually a far more serious issue. Your child isn’t simply a mass of tissue; he or she is a human being in God’s eyes.” Here are a few My Answers from the evangelist. * ( Q: I got an abortion. I can’t forgive myself, and I know God won’t forgive me either. A: You are wrong when you say God can never forgive you.) * Q: My ex-boyfriend talked me into getting an abortion several years ago, and I can't get it out of my mind. I knew it was wr