Barnabas Powell's Blog, page 144
September 26, 2018
Realize Your Limits
I don’t like to admit my limitations. In fact, one of my besetting sins is seeing a Speed Limit sign and thinking of it as more of a “suggestion.” Knowing my limitations is important information for me. Most of the time I have to learn the hard way! But we humans have to come to the end of ourselves to ever really know ourselves, and I am convinced, my dearest, that this…
The post Realize Your Limits appeared first on Faith Encouraged.
September 25, 2018
Thank God!
“3 Easy Steps to a Happy Life” or “The Path to Getting Rich” or “How To Beat The Odds in Vegas” Over and over again we are inundated with this or that “formula” to “be happy” or “rich” or any number of wonderful things that will finally make us content. And these formulas or advice books or courses or seminars are all, to varying degrees, either helpful or a waste of time…
The post Thank God! appeared first on Faith Encouraged.
September 24, 2018
Go To Church!
In one of the retreats that I give around the country, I have a particular presentation about how to heal the weaknesses of our modern age. I use examples from sociology, psychology, science, and even religion. But then I get down to the timeless and purposeful answer from Orthodoxy: GO TO CHURCH! It usually gets at least a smile from folks, but it’s meant to be a wake-up call for us all. You see,…
The post Go To Church! appeared first on Faith Encouraged.
September 21, 2018
Are You STILL Wearing THAT?
It was an old suit, but I loved it! It had both sentimental value and the added benefit of actually fitting me! But my dear bride said it had to go! Sure, it had a few stains but I thought they were hard to see. Yes, there was a tear inside the jacket, but I was the only one who was going to see that. And, OK, so the pants were a…
The post Are You STILL Wearing THAT? appeared first on Faith Encouraged.
September 20, 2018
The Whole Armor of God
I love this Armed Forces Motto: “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.” Isn’t that great? In other words, when you put the time into preparing for battle, the more ready you are to face the fight. And what is true for physical fighting is also true for the spiritual battle each of us faces every day! What? You didn’t know this was going to be a…
The post The Whole Armor of God appeared first on Faith Encouraged.
September 19, 2018
Unsearchable Riches, An Eternal Purpose
I really like to write and I enjoy public speaking, but I had a hint of my tendency to wordiness when my first time in seminary produced a comment from one of my favorite professors. I had just finished a fairly intensive philosophy paper for his class and was really sweating the grade he would give me. Most everybody got their papers back quickly, but mine wasn’t in the first batch handed…
The post Unsearchable Riches, An Eternal Purpose appeared first on Faith Encouraged.
September 18, 2018
Hey, You Don’t Belong Here!
I was embarrassed. I was ashamed. I had wandered into the wrong place. Everything about me screamed “he doesn’t belong here!” And it was confirmed when a waiter came to escort me out! There is nothing quite as cutting to anyone than to be made to feel unwelcome or unwanted. The stigma of being the “outsider” is a heavy burden to bear. This is especially true when all those “insiders” have their own…
The post Hey, You Don’t Belong Here! appeared first on Faith Encouraged.
September 17, 2018
The Head Over ALL Things
He told me “Never say ‘never.’” Of course, at the time I missed the humor in that contradictory command. But, still, there is wisdom there. Whenever I counsel couples or anyone having challenges in their relationships (aren’t we all?), I tell them “Avoid the words ‘always’ and ‘never.’” And that’s because those statements are “usually” untrue, and relationships never get healed in the middle of falsehood. But there are times when words…
The post The Head Over ALL Things appeared first on Faith Encouraged.
September 14, 2018
The Foolishness of the Cross
“Until you have eradicated the evils in your heart, do not obey it, because the heart seeks to increase what it already has stored inside.” St Mark the Ascetic, On the Spiritual Law We prideful humans can’t understand the power of this wisdom without the “foolishness” of the Cross of Jesus Christ. Look at our lesson today in 1 Corinthians 1:18-24: BRETHREN, the word of the cross is folly to those who are…
The post The Foolishness of the Cross appeared first on Faith Encouraged.
September 13, 2018
Consider Jesus
Ever thought about giving up? Yeah, I know. What time is it? I confess to struggling with this temptation all the time. And the temptation to give up seems to come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; from small things to big things. Plus, it seems we live in a modern culture that celebrates and even encourages “giving up.” The “easy path” of abandoning that which is hard flows from the…
The post Consider Jesus appeared first on Faith Encouraged.
