God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. (1 Peter 4:10 NLT)
In Greek, the root word for “gift” is grace. We all have received a grace gift from God and we are to employ that gift graciously.
My gift is not for showing off but for building up—“to serve one another.”
My gift is not for my benefit but to benefit others—“so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (v. 11 NIV).
My gift is given to me so that I may help others see Jesus and praise God. If people only see my gift—and nothing more—I am misusing my gift and I am robbing God of His glory.
To HIM be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11 NIV)
Father, thank You for the grace gift You have given me. Holy Spirit, help me graciously steward this gift to serve others so that they can better glorify God.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
My podcast cohost, Greg Heeres, and I just finished our first co-authored book in our seriesBusiness by the Book. This book is both biblical wisdom and practical insight into how a CEO casts vision for themselves and the organization they lead.
We write about the God-honoring way to cast vision, but there is another way—the human way. In their book Spiritual Leadership, Henry and Richard Blackaby describe it like this:
“The Gospel of Luke provides a graphic contrast between peoples’ agendas and God’s [Luke 9:28-36]. Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up a mountain to experience a divine encounter. God the Father was unfolding His specific will for His Son. The Father brought Moses and Elijah to encourage Jesus for the enormous work of redemption He was about to accomplish. So sacred was that moment that Jesus radiated the glory of His divinity. Peter and his companions, however, had been sleeping. When they awoke and saw the magnificent scene unfolding, Peter spoke up: ‘Master, it’s good for us to be here! Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’ (v. 33). Peter’s first thought was to build something tangible to institutionalize the divine encounter. Peter, a natural leader, could already envision the ongoing ministry he and his friends would administer as a result of that encounter. However, the instant Peter began talking, the vision was removed, and only Jesus remained visible. Clearly Peter’s plan was not God’s agenda. The heavenly Father immediately rebuked Peter, saying, ‘This is My Son, the Chosen One; listen to Him!’ (v. 35). Peter, because he was human, instinctively thought in temporal terms. He envisioned something he could control and manage. He wanted to move Jesus, Moses, Elijah, James, and John on to his agenda instead of seeking to understand God’s will and adjusting his own life accordingly. Peter’s ignorance of spiritual ways is all too prevalent among today’s spiritual leaders. Too often people assume that along with their role of leader comes the responsibility of determining what should be done. They develop aggressive goals. They imagine grandiose dreams. They cast grand visions. Then they pray and ask God to join them in their agenda and bless their efforts. That’s not the spiritual leader’s role. Spiritual leaders seek God’s will, whether it is for their church, family, or corporation, and then they mobilize their people to pursue God’s plan. …
“We must emphasize that planning or goal setting is not wrong. Organizations must have direction and order. The key is the source of those plans. Spiritual leaders seek God’s guidance in discerning God’s purposes for their organization. Then they mobilize their organizations to effectively accomplish what God assigns.”
One final thought from the Blackabys: “God has the vision of what He wants to do. God does not ask leaders to dream big dreams for Him or to solve the problems confronting them with their own best thinking. He asks leaders to walk with Him so intimately that when He reveals His agenda they immediately adjust their lives and their organizations to His will and the results bring glory to God.”
Quality leaders empathize with their teammates, but struggling leaders use their teammates’ stories as a lead-in to tell their own stories. Don’t be a one-upper! Check out our full conversation about the power of a leader’s empathy.
“Personal devotion to a friend or a pursuit means that they will always hold a place in our heart, even when other people and things occupy our attention. Personal devotion to Jesus means that we allow nothing to separate us from Him for a moment. To abide in Him and His love, to be kept by Him and His grace, to be doing His will and pleasing Him—this cannot possibly be an irregular practice if we are truly devoted to Him.” —Andrew Murray
“Let us all seek out the good points of our brethren, and consider them, that we may afterwards be the means of guiding them to those peculiar good works for which they are best adapted.” —Charles Spurgeon, commenting on Hebrews 10:24
AI deepfakes are a very real and present concern. This is a long article from Fight The New Drug about how innocent photos and videos are being manipulated into sexualized content. Parents: “A practical rule: before posting, ask, ‘Could this image embarrass my child later, reveal personal information, identify their location, or be misused if copied?’ If the answer is yes, do not post it publicly.” This post also lists several resources to remove AI-generated photos and videos that have been shared online.
“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.” —Charles Dickens
“Not all who wander are lost forever. By the mercy of God, even now, may your wanderer return home.” Jill Noble has encouraging words for parents who are praying for their prodigal child.
“Servant leadership is all about the person you serve. To grow in effectiveness, you must value what is valuable to that person. It is not enough to just ‘get better.’ We must get better in the areas that are important to the ones we serve. As a leader, do you possess what your team members need, specifically in the areas that can benefit your people?” —John Maxwell
“How many preachers mimic Achan with his stolen plunder? Contraband discourses, borrowed knowledge, unlawful paragraphs copied and pasted because a quick AI prompt was easier than doing the work themselves. To me, these have the glimmer of cursed objects, gold and silver under the ban. …What is a studied and well-expressed sermon built largely on the foundations of artificial intelligence? Is it not stolen plunder? What value is that orthodox teaching, conjured with a few keystrokes, when bereft of orthodox affection? Is this the blessing that Jacob wrestled all night for, the blessing that marked him the rest of his days? Men’s sacred trains of thought ought never run on AI search engines. There may be gold in their orthodoxy or oratory, but too often these are nuggets taken by the hand of laziness, inexperience, and lack of prayer. A lifetime of AI-produced sermons, Bible studies, and Sunday school lessons will not honor God and will end in defeat. …What is the point? Ministers must never replace their reliance upon God and His Spirit with any tools. The warrior of God does not trust in his spear or his chariots or his ChatGPT.” Greg Morse has more to say to preachers about the reliance on AI.
“The work of a Beethoven and the work of a charwoman become spiritual on precisely the same condition, that of being offered to God, of being done humbly “as to the Lord.” This does not, of course, mean that it is for anyone a mere toss-up whether he should sweep rooms or compose symphonies. A mole must dig to the glory of God and a cock must crow. We are members of one body, but differentiated members, each with his own vocation.” —C.S. Lewis, in The Weight of Glory
Greg and I challenge you to take a phrase from our amazing military personnel: Change “I work here” to “I serve here.” Then just as we express our thanks to our active duty and retired service members—“Thank you for your service”—others at our workplaces can say the same thing to us.
“The human mind never goes so fast as that except when it has got into a groove.” —G.K. Chesterton
“In the opening paragraph of Revelation, we’re met by the encouragement, ‘Blessed are those . . . who keep what is written in [this prophecy]’ (1:3). Then at the conclusion we’re reminded, ‘Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book’ (22:7; see also 22:9).” Justin Dillehay then outlines three ways Christians can “keep” the Book of Revelation.
“For it is not so much of our time and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is ourselves. … When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, He claims all. There’s no bargaining with Him.” —C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
T.M. Moore also wrote about the Intimate Glory we have in Jesus: “The greatness of our great salvation is to be known in the Presence of Jesus, God With Us, and the intimacy of peace, safety, rest, and joy we know in Him. Take away all the outward trappings and benefits of our salvation, and we will still, like Peter, be overjoyed just to be with Jesus. The hope of sharing in His glory—not just then and there but now and here in all we do—refreshes and excites our soul and energizes our bodies for daily obedience.”
“Joy doesn’t wait until everything is repaired and restored. It takes root in God’s presence and grows even in hard soil.
“Advent joy doesn’t mean everything is going well. It’s not shallow optimism or a quick distraction from pain. It’s the deep gladness of knowing God is near, faithful, and making all things new.…
“This joy doesn’t depend on circumstances. It flows from union with God. That means joy can live alongside sorrow. …
“The Advent season invites us to practice this kind of joy. As we remain in God’s love and join his Kingdom work of generosity and mercy, we let joy overflow through our lives like a song that begins quietly now but will one day fill all creation.” —Bible Project’s Anticipating Christmas reading plan
“No other story, no pagan legend or philosophical anecdote or historical event, does in fact affect any of us with that peculiar and even poignant impression produced on us by the word Bethlehem. No other birth of a god or childhood of a sage seems to us to be Christmas, or anything like Christmas.” —G.K. Chesterton
“One incident in angelic history, the angelic pronouncement to shepherds in their fields, is enough to weld our hearts to them forever. How free from envy the angels were! Christ did not come from heaven to save their peers when they fell. When satan, the mighty angel, dragged with him a third part of the stars of heaven, Christ did not stoop from His throne to die for them; but He left them to be reserved in chains and darkness until the last great day. Yet angels did not envy men. Though they remembered that He took not up angels, yet they did not murmur when He took up the seed of Abraham; and though the blessed Master had never condescended to take the angel’s form, they did not think it beneath them to express their joy when they found Him arrayed in the body of an infant.” —Charles Spurgeon
“Long had God promised the world’s redemption would come through the offspring who would sustain a bite to the heel yet, in the very act of battle, crush the serpent’s head. Even as kings and prophets pinned their hopes on the coming births of sons, God unfolds His master scheme of one Son to overshadow them all.
“A glimpse of this Son’s manifold greatness will be captured in His name (Isaiah 9:6), which turns out to be not singular but fourfold. He is Guide, Champion, Caretaker, and Peacemaker, and each of these paired with attendant glory.” —David Mathis
“The manger of Bethlehem was big with God’s glory; in the incarnation was wrapped up all the blessedness by which a soul, snatched from the depths of sin, is lifted up to the heights of glory.” —Charles Spurgeon
“Psychologists, since the beginning of the discipline, have argued about the essence of what it means to be human. Some, like [Sigmund] Freud, insist that we are motivated by physical pleasure, while others, like Victor Frankl or Abraham Maslow, believe that some higher purpose…. Human beings, made in the image and likeness of God, only realize their full potential and pleasure as they participate in the very being of God and know and experience the pleasure He takes in Himself and His glory.” —T.M. Moore
“If you are persevering in faith today, you owe it to the blood of Jesus. The Holy Spirit, who is working in you to preserve your faith, is honoring the purchase of Jesus. God the Spirit works in us what God the Son obtained for us. The Father planned it. Jesus bought it. The Spirit applies it—all of them infallibly.” —John Piper
“The Hebrew word Davar (דבר, pronounced ‘daw-var’) reveals something profound about God’s Word—it’s not merely information, but transformation. … Throughout Scripture, God’s Word consistently proves both living and active. It has the power to create worlds (Genesis 1), transform lives (Psalm 119:105), and accomplish God’s purposes (Isaiah 55:11).” —Dave Adamson
More fascinating archeology that supports the Bible’s historicity. This is a look at the library of letters found at Tell el-Amarna in Egypt. “The most obvious connection between the Amarna Letters and biblical history is that some of the letters appear to be describing, in real-time, the attacks of the Israelites during the period of the conquest. Remember, the initial conquest battles took a period of some 5–6 years, but the attempts by various tribes to conquer their allotted territories lasted into the period of the Judges. The letters from the rulers of some of the very cities named in the biblical conquest calling for help from the attacking ʿapîru/ḫa-bi-ru, provide a poignant backdrop to this period of biblical history.”
“Because I am your constant Companion, there should be a lightness to your step that is observable to others. Do not be weighed down with problems and unresolved issues, for I am your burden-bearer.” —Jesus in Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling, based on Psalm 31:19–20; John 16:33
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
What does it mean when we really believe the words, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing” (Psalm 23:1)?
When the sheep is utterly dependent on the shepherd, it lacks nothing. A sheep without any lack glorifies the Good Shepherd.
God is glorified when I remain in utter dependence on Him, and I continue to have to lack because of His perfect provision. I am quiet, restored, on the right path, fearless, secure, provisioned, blessed, and forever hopeful.
To try to provide for my own needs dishonors the Good Shepherd, but to come to Him for absolutely everything glorifies Him as eternally satisfying and reliable.
The more my needs are satisfied by God alone, the more He is glorified.
People need to know how much you love them before they will listen to any correction you may need to give them. “Real friends hurt each other.”Check out the full sermon here.
David Mathis shares a faith-building message of confidence during times of crisis. He takes his text from Psalm 46—“Whatever trouble comes, Psalm 46 tells us, with its first word, where to turn. Not to a change in circumstances. Not to our best efforts to fix the problem. Not to our anxious strategies to avoid pain and loss. But rather, turn to God.”
“There is not a facet of our lives, not an interest or occupation, not a nook or cranny of the cosmos, where God does not intend that His glory should shine forth and be known. Indeed, even now He is showing His glory in created things, and even in much of the culture that human beings make to meet their own needs (Psalm 19:1-4; Psalm 68:18). God is manifesting His glory; it is there to be noted and pondered. The task of those entrusted with the Kingdom economy is to serve as docents of the glory of God, bringing His glory to light and making Him known for all to see in these last days. … Our mission in these last days is to glorify God by living out the reality of His indwelling Presence among the people to whom He sends us day by day (cf. Micah 4:1-8). In all our relationships, cultural activities, conversations, families, vocations, and diversions, what will it look like, and how will it appear to others when the glorious Presence of God is being refracted through us?” —T.M. Moore
“The resurrection of Jesus from the dead was the one unvarying refrain of the apostles. This chapter [1 Corinthians 15] is the fullest discussion of it in the New Testament. It is one of the most significant and grandest chapters in the Bible because of the meaning it gives to human life. …The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the one most important and most established fact in all history. And the story of it has come down to us through the centuries, beautifying human life with the halo of immortality; making us feel sure that because He lives again we too shall live; making our hearts thrill with the thought that we are immortal, that we have begun an existence that shall never end; that nothing can harm us; that death is merely an incident in passing from one phase of existence to another; that wether here or there we are His, doing the thing He has for us to do; that millions of ages after the sun has grown cold, we ourselves shall still be young in the eternities of God.” —Dr. Henry Halley
Would you like to get better sleep and lower your stress levels? Check this out: “If you share a bed with your sweetie, consider incorporating this step into your nighttime routine if you aren’t already: a snuggle sesh…. A study found that couples who cuddled prior to drifting off experienced less stress and more feelings of security in the relationship.”
“The Bible tells us to love our neighbours, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.” —G.K. Chesterton
John Piper is asked an interesting question from Ephesians 6:12—are our adversaries merely flesh-and-blood humans or are demonic forces at work? “Flesh and blood apart from Christ is always under the sway of the spirit of the age, and it’s always under the sway of the prince of the power of the air, and it’s always acting out of its own bodily, mental desires. Therefore, in one sense, there is no separation in our warfare with human sinfulness and demonic schemes. They overlap; they’re intertwined.”
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
It could be that the enemies that are dogging your footsteps—harassing you and closing in on you—are doing so because God incited them to do this.
Why?
So that you will grow stronger in your dependence on His keeping power. God says He will gain the honor and glory when He does what no earthly power can do.
Check out this part of the story about the Egyptians pursuing the Israelites—
“For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are entangled in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ I will harden (make stubborn, strong) Pharaoh’s heart, that he will pursue them, and I will gain honor and glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so. … The Lord made hard and strong the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, for they left proudly and defiantly. … Moses told the people, “Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.” … Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did against the Egyptians, and the people reverently feared the Lord and trusted in (relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord and to His servant Moses. (Exodus 14:3-4, 8, 13-14, 30-31 AMPC)
God allowed the enemies to pursue the Israelites. Actually, God Himself stirred up these enemies to go after His people.
So let me ask again: Why would God do this?
Two things happened as the Israelites remained at rest:
The Egyptians were defeated, which caused God’s name to be revered
The Israelites were delivered, which caused them to place their trust more firmly in God.
Instead of complaining about your foes—or even trying to defend yourself or fight back against them—keep your eyes on your Savior. He will be glorified as He cares for you as only He can! And when God does unleash His power on your behalf, you will have a testimony that will reverberate through the ages—
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider or its chariot has He thrown into the sea. The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. … Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:1-2, 11)
God will be glorified in your difficult situation. Stand still and watch your awesome God work in awesome ways!
“If we try to display the excellence of God without joy in it, we will display a shell of hypocrisy and create scorn or legalism. But if we claim to enjoy His excellence and do not display it for others to see and admire, we deceive ourselves, because the mark of God-enthralled joy is to overflow and expand by extending itself into the hearts of others. … God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of Him in every part of our lives.” —John Piper
I have blogged quite a bit about the importance of getting enough quality sleep. A new study finds that the link between poor sleep and mental health problems could be related to deficits in brain regions that keep unwanted thoughts out of mind. Check out the full report.
“You may have to fight the battle more than once to win it.” —Margaret Thatcher
Craig T. Owens 