Christine's Blog (2,611)

Courage and the Narrow Path

. Matthew 7.24-27

Why choosing it is absolutely critical!

“What will the transition be like?” she asked me with a weak voice. “You know, I’m scared, and I really don’t want to be alone.” Lying on her hospital bed near the big picture window in her bedroom, Raquel turned her head a little bit and cut her eyes to take in my answer. She was talking about dying. You see, she wanted to know what it might be like to take her last breath…

How do you know if you are on the Narrow Path?  Matthew 7.13-23

Sometimes it feels like “anything goes”.  Whatever makes you happy, then that’s…

The Narrow Path to God.  Matthew 7.13-14;  John 14.6

Jesus comes Out.  Tis a Difficult Thing … who can abide it?  Matthew 7.13-14

How the Narrow Gate shapes our Lives

. Matthew 7.13-14

Ah, but there is more to be said about Jesus’ description of the narrow gate and the wide gate. He said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Nothing is more evident in our choices of gates than the decisions we make regarding living…

Our Choices Define Us. Matthew 7.13-14 



When I exited the church building on Sunday, I was caught in a driving rainstorm on one of Cambridge’s little side streets in the historic area of town; there were no taxis to be hailed, no respite to be had in dry transport. (Oh, and by the way, during the worship service, a strange alarm had sounded; though I did not find out the reason until later, the alarm was signaling flash flooding all around the area.)…

Discipline and the Narrow Gate. Matthew 7.13-14 



Consider this epitaph from a boxer in ancient Greece: 



“Here he died boxing in the stadium – Having prayed to Zeus for a wreath or death. Age 35. Farewell.” [from an unearthed monument] 



Second place was not an option for this competitor; he died going for the gold. Actually, the Greek word for ‘victory’ was Nike. The ancient world was very familiar with her…

The Seventh Chapter.

Hi. I am in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to take a dispute resolution class at Harvard’s Law School this week. The schedule is rigorous, intense, and demanding, but will be beneficial to my equipping as a minister of Jesus to many folks worldwide. There are some travel stories as I made my way across country that I hope to weave into the Morning Briefings. 



Nonetheless, I am mindful that we have just come through an intense passage…

The Seventh Chapter.

Hi. I am in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to take a dispute resolution class at Harvard’s Law School this week. The schedule is rigorous, intense, and demanding, but will be beneficial to my equipping as a minister of Jesus to many folks worldwide. There are some travel stories as I made my way across country that I hope to weave into the Morning Briefings. 



Nonetheless, I am mindful that we have just come through an intense passage…

Stressed out – what to do about it.  Philippians 4.4-9 

Landing in Boston late last night (Saturday), I looked to find a church within walking distance of Harvard Square this morning.  Took me a while to find (on-line) a…

The Golden Rule and Everything. Matthew 7.12



We live in the world of no absolutes, have you noticed? I have heard folks say, ‘well, that might be true for you, but it is not true for me.’ Which begs the question then, are there absolute truths—things that are true for everyone? ‘And…

A Gooood Father.  Matthew 7.7-11

Why pray?  …

Of Prudence, Plumb lines, and Pigs.  Matthew 7.6

The other day I was on the back half of my morning workout, when I heard something interesting that made me stop and…

Out of the Fire into Love … I believe.   Matthew 7.1-5

Bruce…

Homosexuality – out of the frying pan and into the Fire.

Matthew 7.1-5; 1 Corinthians 5.12…

Judgment, Condemnation or Discernment?  Matthew 7.1-5…

Let’s do a Selfie…Judgment.  Matthew 7.3-5

Imagine holding the magnifying…

To Judge or Not to Judge.  Matthew 7.1-5 …

Matthew Six – in Jesus’ words

Before we move on, having just taken to heart Jesus’ words about not worrying, but instead, trusting him, and making him first in our lives, it is really valuable to look again at the whole of Matthew chapter six. Look how much Jesus talked about:

~Pure desire for God, not pious deeds to be seen by others

~The disciples’ prayer or the ‘Our Father’/the model of prayer that Jesus

taught

~God the Father delighting in giving his…

“Don’t Worry, I’m trustworthy.”   “Don’t Worry, I’m trustworthy.”  Jesus, Matthew 6.25-34…