Confessions Of A Recovering Jetpacker

Have you ever found yourself wishing for a jetpack of sorts after you sin?
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Best Of: To Those Wrestling With Lesbianism

Since the Bible is so clear on homosexuality, why has the issue become so cloudy in the minds of so many?
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From Sin Cage To Free Bird

Coming clean and owning up to the seriousness of your offense against God is the first step toward setting things right. But watch out—it's possible to get stuck in the 'fessing up stage.
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Do-over!

Coming clean hurts. It's not easy to tell God that you have sinned and need His forgiveness. But acknowledging your sin and repenting is a critical first step toward breaking free.
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To Shoot An Elephant

How often do we face situations where we know what's right but we'd rather not be laughed at? There are so many reasons to go with the crowd and with their expectations—everyone would understand. But we struggle inside. We battle and wrestle and struggle. Yet we sit there with our fingers on the trigger of sin.
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Do I Have To Tell?

In response to last week's post about overcoming sin, several of you shared your fear about confessing your sin to others. You have legitimate concerns, but I have to wonder, do they justify continuing in sin? Is the possibility of gossip or strong emotions really a good enough deterrent to remain in bondage?
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A Quiz for Overcoming Sin

If you are locked in a pattern of sin that you can't seem to break free from, you know what it's like to be in bondage. You may feel tied to your sin or like you're stuck in rut of trying and failing to overcome sin over and over again. As part of our Truth Boot Camp, I want to encourage you to take finding victory over your sin seriously this year.

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Tear It Out And Cut It Off!

Do you find yourself regularly giving in to impure thoughts? Dig in to Matthew 5:27–30 to discover how and why to get hardcore about turning from sin and turning to God.
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To Those Wrestling With Lesbianism

Since God's Word is so clear on the subject of homosexuality, why has the issue become so cloudy in the minds of so many?
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Why I Got Kicked Out of Church

As we explore what the Bible says about how we should respond to church authority, I don't want you to feel like I'm pointing the finger at you. I've had trouble with church authority myself, and I know that this is an area where our backs naturally want to arch. But I've also learned that the way I respond to human authority correlates to my willingness to submit to God's authority.
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The Trouble With Secrets

After months of pure misery, Serena couldn't keep her secrets any longer. They were tearing her life apart piece by piece. Every secret she kept only made it harder for her to reveal what was really going on in her life.
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Three Roots To Watch For . . .

As Christians, God's powerful presence lives in us, and we're powerhouses! So why does it seem like most of the time . . . the "electricity's" gone out?

What happens when you tell a fifty-year-old secret?

Satan would like nothing better than to convince us that dark closets are where the skeletons caused by our sin should remain. He gets us all worked up about what people will think if we get real about our sin or convinces us that no one else has sin that they're wrestling with. The truth is, that's hogwash.
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Bandaging the Burns

Maybe you've been playing with fire. You know that this is an area of your life that needs dramatic change. Now what? 
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Playing with Fire

We hesitated to address this difficult subject in such a public forum, but your questions and comments kept coming. So we decided to respond, using God's Word as the standard of Truth.
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Let Not This Sin Become Trivial

In today's culture we are being pressed from all sides to agree that impurity is okay. However, the Bible clearly states that we are to steer clear of impurity. But how do we do that when we live in a culture where sexual impurity is accepted as normal?
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What's the big deal about sexting?

Sexting is a growing trend among teenagers. Most teens see sexting as nothing more than high-tech flirting. They reason, "It's just innocent fun. I'm not hurting anyone."  That simply isn't true.
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From Double Life to Single-Minded

I first wrote about Aly's story in March. Back then she had just been caught living a double life. Because of God's grace, she's not in that pit anymore. Check out her radical story of redemption.
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Hot Dogs and Sin Have More in Common Than You Think

Sometimes we choose to sin like we are choosing to eat a hotdog. We know we shouldn't do it. We know the sin won't offer us anything in theform of spiritual "nutrition." We've been warned that sin is bad for us, andyet we take a bite for a fleeting moment of pleasure, control, or self-absorption.
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Are you living a double life?

When double lives are exposed it doesn't look like a James Bond movie. Hearts are broken. Lives are torn apart. Sin's power to deceive and destroy is on full display.
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What to Do When You're Boiling Mad

Short of moving to a planet with no kitties, siblings, or other irritating factors, what's to be done about this anger spewing out of us?

Do you cuv?

But what if covetousness goes far deeper than a surface desire for flashy, expensive things in a store? What if covetousness is the root of anger, fighting, bitterness, and all unkind speech as well?
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Homosexuality: A Story of Redemption Part 2

Yesterday I introduced you to Rene. She's a woman who was involved in the homosexual lifestyle for more than 11 years. Today she is living proof of God's power to change hearts and lives.

Homosexuality: A Story of Redemption

Meet Rene. She is a former homosexual now serving Jesus in full-time ministry. I couldn't wait to pass her story on to you because it is a beautiful testimony of God's ability to redeem all things.

Is homosexuality a sin?

Amidst the swirl  of messages sent to us about homosexuality by the world, there's one key issue that begs to be addressed: What does God say about the issue of homosexuality?

We Need to Talk

There's something I've been wanting to talk about with you for years, but I just couldn't get the first sentence out. Until now.

Choosing to Stay in the Pit

As I've watched the rescued miners, I've been struck by how often we choose the pit of sin. We know it isn't what's best for us. We get that sin ultimately leads to bondage and that Christ died to set us free, but we make the choice to head back down the shaft toward sin just to make sure we're not missing out on anything.
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Anger's Major Motivator

The mastermind behind our anger is our own selfishness. We will continue to be easily angered until we get a firm grasp on how God sees us and how He calls us to treat the people around us.
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Meet Jealousy's Hostile Sidekick

Sweet Christian girls don't get angry, right? Or they throw the occasional angry fit and then go on with their day like it's no big deal. But anger is a big deal.
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How well do you know the green-eyed monster?

Jealousy will mess you up. That's why Shakespeare calls it a monster and why God's Word warns us so strongly against it.
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No Longer Just a “Guy’s Struggle”

You know it’s a struggle for guys—even Christian guys—but Christian girls and women?

Yeast

Sin, like yeast, is potent. It has a way of working itself into every corner of our lives.
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Flee!

Check out what happens in Genesis 39:11-12:

“ One day he went into the house to attend his duties, and none of the household servants was in side. She caught him by his cloak and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.” 

The “he” in this story is Joseph, who at the time was a slave in the house of Potiphar. The “she “ is Potiphar’s wife who is seeking to seduce Joseph. Scandalous, I know. While the plotline is interesting (sounds like a soap opera to me), it’s not the best part of this story. I am most intrigued by Joseph’s reaction when faced with the temptation to sin.

A Spit wad and a Letter Ten Years Later . . .

While it’s been a whole decade since I flung my graduation cap in the air with glee and moved on to bigger and better things, I was reminded recently—with regret—that the consequences of my sin stick around and impact others negatively long after I’m gone. 
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Are Gossip and Murder the Same?

Have you ever heard someone claim, “All sins are equal to God?” I have. For years I believed that this was a claim based on Scripture. Just like the other tough questions we’ve been tackling this week, after doing some digging I’ve discovered that it’s just not that simple.
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If it feels so right, how can it be wrong?

The drama continues. Only this time, Eve isn't the main character—you are. Sin is still seductive. The stakes are still high. The consequences are still devastating. The choice is yours. Will you listen to God's voice? 

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Hope for the tug of war with sin

Many, many of you commented on Friday’s post. The consistent theme was that when faced with Paul’s struggle with sin, you can totally relate. Sometimes, it feels like it’s impossible to overcome our sin. But, God’s Truth tells a different story.
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Are you in a tug of war with sin?

Does the power of sin within you ever sabotage your best intentions? Do you decide to do good (to read your Bible, to pray more often, to get more involved in ministry in your church) only to drop the ball? Do you decide not to do bad (to gossip less, to stop lying, to be nice to your parents) only to fall flat on your face? Do you ever feel like you can’t overcome your sin?
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I Told the Truth at the DMV

What are some practical ways that you can pursue Truth this week? What are some areas where you are struggling to choose between God’s Truth and the World’s deception?
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What are the consequences of sin?

What does the Bible say about the specific consequences we can expect to face when we sin?
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The lie Satan loves to tell about sin

What does God's Word say about speeding and music downloads?
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Can sin be harmless?

Is it okay to break the rules/law if no one gets hurt? When does doing so become a sin?
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Is Conviction a Feeling? Part 2

Yesterday I started a conversation about the role of emotion in convicting us of sin. I asked this question--just because we aren’t feeling convicted, does that mean that there isn’t sin in our lives that we should respond to?

I think the answer is clearly no.
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Is Conviction a Feeling?

Is conviction a feeling? Should we base our choices and attitudes on whether or not we feel guilty or ashamed?
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