Feeling like God isn’t listening to your prayers?
He may not be, for good reason. Here’s why…
(for those using a reader you can access the video HERE)
Why Are Some People Self-Controlled And Others Aren’t?
A question that’s been bugging me lately is, “What precedes temperance?”
Our church just finished the second week of a series called, “Do This, Not That.” It’s a series on the seven deadly sins – a collection of sins that have proved to be the most troublesome for Christians to eradicate from their lives.
The solution, Galatians 5 and other scriptures exhort us, is to focus on cultivating a corresponding virtue that ultimately supplants the vice we struggle with.
This past Sunday we discussed the deadly sin of gluttony, and how focusing on temperance (i.e. “tempering our impulses to spend, eat, speak rashly, whatever) cultivates the spiritual strength to withstand all forms of gluttony.
But what precedes temperance? When you see someone who oozes self-control, what causes them to be so? What gives them the inner drive to control themselves?
You Can’t Medicate Your Way Out Of Not Caring About Anything
“Acedia is like morphine. You know the pain is there, yet can’t rouse yourself to give a damn.” – Kathleen Norris, Acedia & Me
Throughout church history, those tasked with leading men and women in personal transformation quickly realized there were seven persistent sins that continually set traps for Christ followers.
Over time those sins became known as “the seven deadly sins.”
The key to overcoming each deadly sin is not by focusing on the sin itself, but by practicing a corresponding virtue which over time supplants the vice we each struggle with.
In short, spiritual growth comes by “doing this, not that.”
This past Sunday we kicked off DO THIS, NOT THAT by talking about spiritual apathy, or what the ancients called “Acedia,” which in Greek literally meant “not caring.”
2011 Christmas Eve – “Immanuel”
Boldly Save – “The Great Recovery” (3/3)
Ruthlessly Commit To Tithing – “The Great Recovery” (2/3)
Attack Debt – “The Great Recovery” (1/3)
Kenyan Leaders Wallace and Mary Kamau Visit CCV
For more information about our Hope Partnership click HERE.
If Hell Is Real…How Can I Help Others Avoid It? (4/4)
Week #4 Main Idea: The last thing Christians need to do is believe in hell again, but get all freaky in the process. God wants us to share our faith naturally, confidently, and poignantly.
Messages in this series:
If Hell Is Real…Why Don’t I Believe It?
If Hell Is Real…Why Am I Afraid To Admit It?
If Hell Is Real…What Makes Me Get Serious About It?
If Hell Is Real…How Can I Help Others Avoid It?
If Hell Is Real…What Makes Me Get Serious About It? (3/4)
Week #3 Main Idea: Christians are shaken to the core and start believing in hell (again) when they realize God is a God of wrath (and not just love), non-believers are going to suffer that wrath, Jesus paid the penalty so they wouldn’t have to, but we Christians must tell them about it.
Messages in this series:
If Hell Is Real…Why Don’t I Believe It?
If Hell Is Real…Why Am I Afraid To Admit It?
If Hell Is Real…What Makes Me Get Serious About It?
If Hell Is Real…How Can I Help Others Avoid It?
