Conquering Addiction

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,”(Ephesians 5:18, ESV) In life and the pastorate, I have seen the effects of addiction on people’s physical wellbeing. My step grandfather was an alcoholic. His problem had an effect on his body and his family. In the pastorate,Continue reading “Conquering Addiction”

Physical Training

“for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8, ESV) In the previous devotion, I described the issue of diet for a healthy body. It was not an exhaustive article forContinue reading “Physical Training”

Not Mastered

“’All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12, ESV) In my previous devotion, I mentioned that I got significantly out of shape having gained a lot of weight. There were two major factors inContinue reading “Not Mastered”

Importance of the Body

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, ESV) Years ago, on a Sunday morning I got up and readyContinue reading “Importance of the Body”

Medication for Perfectionism

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, ESV) Years ago, I had a home project to renovate a bathroom. I decided to put in a marble tile floor as part of the project. There was a section that I built that elevated the showerContinue reading “Medication for Perfectionism”

The Monkey on Your Back

“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21–22, ESV) In 1822 Thomas Gillet published a collection of stories. One of them is titled “The Devil and the Doctor.”Continue reading “The Monkey on Your Back”

No Regrets

“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.” (Joel 2:25, ESV) There was a Milky Way chocolate bar commercial that aired years ago that pictured a tattoo artist and a client. The client wanted aContinue reading “No Regrets”

Our Pet Rocks

“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10, ESV) Many years ago, a man named Gary Dahl came up with an idea. He created a fad called the Pet Rock. These were being marketed and sold in retail stores in theContinue reading “Our Pet Rocks”

Shedding the Load

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV) When I lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, I participated in an annual 5-K race on the fourth of July. Following the 5-K they had a 1-mile Survival Run where the participants ran in combatContinue reading “Shedding the Load”

Defeating the Blame Game

“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12, ESV) When I was a boy, my brother and I used to get in trouble a lot. We would be doing something that we should not have and possibly break something. My mother would try to investigate the problem. However,Continue reading “Defeating the Blame Game”