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Ideas for Growing in Gratitude

“Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The Bible tells us to give thanks in all seasons. It’s a year-round, every-day opportunity. We should not wait until Thanksgiving Day or the month of November to be grateful, but we can leverage this season to increase the gratitude we feel, cultivate the habit of thanksgiving, and deepen our awareness of all the reasons to praise and thank God.

It’s a great season for churches, families, and individuals to lean into giving thanks to God together. Like so many things, there is a shared joy that doubles our own joy when we do things with others, and thanksgiving is no different. As we practice giving thanks in our churches and homes, we are encouraged by how God is at work in the lives of those around us and we are reminded of the many reasons to thank God based on who He is and what He does.

As I’ve read about, studied, wrote on, and practiced the spiritual habit of thanksgiving over the last decade, here are a few resources to help you grow in gratitude.

Why You Should Approach Search Engines and AI with Caution

This isn’t so much a convictional stance but a thought in progress. It overlaps with many other things tied to the opportunities and dangers that come with search engines and AI, but it’s just one small thought for today that I’d like to think about more and hear others give a viewpoint on.

One thing I’ve had more conversations with people about lately is the use of search engines and AI. That can relate to biblical or spiritual questions or to any way we use it to get information. Should we use these tools? If we use them, should we trust them? Should we avoid them altogether?

Entrusting Things to A Trustworthy God

On the day I send kids back to school, God “just so happens” to have me writing up a few Bible study questions on Hannah “lending” or entrusting the son, Samuel, that God had given her (1 Samuel 1:21-28).

Handing over, surrendering, or entrusting things to God isn’t as easy as it sounds. We don’t like to let go of control, even though we ultimately know everything is better in God’s sovereign hands, and even though us having any ounce of “control” is just an illusion.

But entrusting things to God reminds us how vulnerable we, or our kids, truly are. These feelings, or this place of surrender, is typically the last place we want to be, and yet, it’s the very place God knows we need to be. Faith and trust aren’t really needed until these sorts of moments.

How David Learned His Lesson the Right Way (Eventually)

There’s an interesting story from early in David’s reign as king that takes place in both 1 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13-15. After securing a new capital city, one of King David’s first recorded acts was to defeat the Philistines, retrieve the ark of God, and begin the important process of putting it in the new capital so God’s presence and worship would be at the center of Israel’s kingdom and life. David admonished the priests and people for not prioritized seeking God by seeking the ark in the days of Saul (1 Chronicles 13:3).

God’s Grace When We Stray

One frustrating thing about the Christian life is how fickle our hearts prove to be. I’m amazed how I can start my day in Scripture soaring on the truths of God’s glory, and then by lunch I doubt whether God will come through for me. I can tell others about His goodness one day and then question His goodness the next. I’ve had seasons of spiritual dry spells where it felt like the dark clouds of life hid the sun of God’s presence, and then had seasons where the rays of God’s presence felt like they beamed directly on me. I can lay down my life in selflessness toward one person but act so selfish toward someone else. My mind can rest in God’s Word, only to have a windstorm of anxious thoughts sweep through with a trail of destruction.

What Star Wars, and David, Teach Us about Not Trusting Ourselves

The Star Wars franchise is guilty of overselling the wisdom and strength we can find from within, but they also recognize how much our thoughts and desires can cloud our judgment, confuse us, or conflict within us. This is the experience of Anakin Skywalker, or Darth Vader, from beginning to end. He’s a conflicted character. He trusts himself too much but experiences inner turmoil and conflict because of it. Throughout the film are scattered remarks that highlight the instability of the human heart.

What Does It Mean that David was “a man after God’s heart”?

When I began studying David, one question that intrigued me was what it meant that he was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22). When I asked people what they thought this phrase meant, I heard differing opinions. Some were even bothered by the fact that such a sinful person was described this way. So what does it mean?

New articles and book excerpt

Over at The Gospel Coalition, I’ve posted a new article on “Your Wilderness Wanderings Aren’t a Waste.” It overviews the theme of wilderness, spanning from Israel to Jesus, and reminds us that God’s ultimate goal in any wilderness season or situation is “to do you good in the end” (Deut. 8:3). Older TGC articles I’ve written can be viewed here.

Why Good Friday is Good News

On Good Friday, we remember the death of the Son of God on a bloody and horrific cross. It seems paradoxical to call such a day Good Friday. How can a day focused on death and suffering be good? How can Jesus being rejected by his people and tortured on a Roman cross be good? To understand more of this mystery, and what Good Friday is all about, it might help to wade deeper into the pool of theology by considering the meaning of the cross. Ultimate victory was at work in initial defeat.

Continue reading Why Good Friday is Good News

Bible Reading Plans for Holy Week

Sometimes it’s nice to have a reading plan that takes you through a month or a semester, but other times it’s great to have something for one week. Here are a couple of reading plan options for Holy Week leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday.