In Ephesians 5.16, Paul exhorts believers in Jesus Christ to use our time wisely – “making the best use of the time” (or as it reads in the King James Version, “redeeming the time”). When author and lecturer John Erskine was a boy, he was asked by his piano teacher how much he practiced. He [...]
Archive for the ‘practical stuff’ Category
Dashed Plans
Posted in Bible, goodness of God, practical stuff, providence, sovereignty of God on August 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
You’ve had those days, or maybe even weeks, when nearly everything you’ve planned gets dashed. Nothing seems to work out the way you thought it would. A routine trip to the grocery store turns into something far more. Your schedule for the day is smashed into a million little pieces. You know what I’m talking [...]
How to Think On Your Feet
Posted in 5-Minute Primers, Miscellaneous, practical stuff, Tactics on May 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Some people are gifted in their ability to “think on their feet,” while others aren’t. The gifted seem to have an innate capacity to answer questions, make points, and recall almost anything in an informative and clear way, while those not so gifted struggle in all of those areas. I don’t think, however, that this [...]
Common Sense on Devotions
Posted in Christian life, practical stuff, Recommendations on May 19, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
No matter what we call it – “spending time with God” or “devotions” – a common problem arises (at least in my experience, but I assume yours, too): we think we need to “get something out of it.” If we don’t, we feel guilty. If we do, we thnk we’ve been successful. Tim Challies [...]
Write it Down!
Posted in Christian life, discipleship, practical stuff, Spiritual Disciplines on August 26, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Writing things down, or keeping track, helps whatever you’re doing. That’s what Drs. Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen – authors of YOU: On a Diet – wrote in an article published yesterday in The Oregonian. They write: Got $2 and 10 minutes? That’s all you may need to double your weight loss on your next [...]
Some Help with Meditation & Journaling
Posted in practical stuff, Spiritual Disciplines on July 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
One of the most basic spiritual disciplines is meditating on the Word of God. “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day,” in Psalm 119:97. An unnamed psalmist wrote, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, [...]
The Beauty of Brevity
Posted in Dennis Prager, faith in life, Miscellaneous, practical stuff on June 22, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Brevity can be beautiful. Doug Wilson, in some form or fashion, has said that Christians need to develop “one-liners” to answer questions, make points, and “close the mouths of the obstreperous” (to quote John Calvin). We need quick, brief, succinct statements that start, carry, and sometimes end a conversation. Even though I’ve fought against the [...]
Personal Inventory
Posted in Christian life, discipleship, practical stuff on March 15, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,” says James 1:22. We’re commanded to do two things: first, hear the Word of God; second, do what it says. In order to do what it says – put it into practice – we not only need to know the text of [...]
How to Pray for A Lot of People
Posted in Ministry, practical stuff, prayer on February 23, 2010 | 1 Comment »
It can be a daunting task to pray for a group of people – or a list of people. Where do you begin? What should you pray for? What if you don’t know what to pray for? How long should you spend on each person? The format I use when I’m praying through our church’s [...]
Tips for Reading the Bible – 2
Posted in Bible, practical stuff, reading on August 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
(This is the second in a series designed to give some help to people who have never read the Bible or who haven’t read it much. If you do read and study God’s Word regularly – which I hope and pray you do, may these tips be helpful to you, also.) Second: Get a [...]
