SACRAMENTAL LIVING

“ [‘For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.’ (2 Cor 13:4]…This is a difficult passage which causes problems for many people. What is meant here by “weakness”? In Scripture weakness can refer to bodily illness, and it can also mean not being securely grounded in faith. But there is a third possibility, and that is what we find here. Weakness can mean perse

“We will become whatever we focus on the most. The Israelites exchanged their glories (their Perfect You as image bearers of God) for the image of the golden calf, and we too can lose ourselves trying to be what we are not called to be (Exod. 32:4; Rom. 1:18–25). We become what we love, so we must learn to love our God by seeing his incredible piece of eternity inside of us.” (Robin Phillips) “Our culture champions the mind. We think of ourselves as far more brilliant than th

“The Cross is the singular demonstration of the breadth and depth of God’s love for us. And it becomes the model for all who would take up their cross daily and follow the Lord (Luke 9:23). By walking in the light of the Cross, we will reach our destination of eternal life in the Holy Trinity. We will lose our life in the radical love of one another so that we might find it. And in the self-sacrifice of love, we will be obedient to the new commandment that the Lord gave us du

“Untended emotional wounds affect us spiritually in many ways. They affect how we behave in relationships—our ability to trust and give up control, to forgive ourselves and others, to love and be loved, to allow ourselves to be vulnerable—and our ability to be in the present moment, both with ourselves and with those around us.” (Fr. Joshua Makoul) “Some people speak of faith as if entrusting our lives to God were as effortless and relaxing as soaking in a warm bath. If we ha

“We know that the Lord is anointed by the Father so that He may actualize the kingdom of life in this world through His suffering and saving Passion (Luke 9:18-27). As human beings, however, we are filled with an insidious lethargy. We sluggishly resist the Lord’s call for many reasons, including ignorance, sinful darkness, and the captivating cares and pleasures of this present existence (vs. 8:14)….Our present day “comfort culture” encourages us to flee from pain…As a resul

“The gifts of the Spirit, wonderful as they are, are temporary and incomplete. They are for this age, while we are “children” (1 Corinthians 13:11). But love continues into the age to come: it is eternal, complete, and fulfilling.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:8-13) “...spiritual gifts are not self-serving but serve the whole body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7); (2) each gift becomes practically useless when used without love (chapter 13).” (Life Application Study

“Throughout the Holy Scriptures, beginning in the Old Testament, the God who created the universe and everything in it, who created we human beings to dwell therein and with whom to share His Life, expresses and reveals to us His character.” (Father Stephen De Young) “Boundaries (and, thus, love) requires that we endure healthy shame – for this is the emotional experience that comes with boundaries. The virtue of enduring such healthy shame is known as humility. Love is impos

“How do we make idols in our time? Whenever organizations, behaviors, and enterprises claim the commitment and loyalty that belongs to God alone, they tempt us to idolatry. When anyone or anything demands our ultimate dedication, that is, our worship, we can be sure that the demons are hovering around us. When we join in a group, ambition, or habit whose spirit carries us away and controls us, we can be assured that the devil has recruited us…every created thing is, in its de

“We put a lot of time and effort into achieving balance in our lives. What do we mean by balance? Is our notion of what balance is for our lives the same as someone else’s notion of what balance is for theirs? What does a life lived in balance look like for a Christian, or perhaps better phrased, what should it look like? Our quest for balance can actually become an obstacle to our faith if we consider God, prayer, and worship one of many things to balance on a given day. If

“Peter apparently wanted to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles or Booths that looked forward to the end and wanted to treat Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as equals by making three shelters (one for each [Matthew 17:4 during the Transfiguration of Jesus]). It was actually a way of expressing honor to Jesus, but the next verse [While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I