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Sit down with me as we think through some tough topics in a reflective way and examine some of the difficult issues that can trouble followers of Christ. My hope is that you’ll always come away with more to think about… RBC Ministries
Archive for the 'Wisdom' Category
(Posts Archive)
- 8.8 in Chile and Our Own |
Posted by Mart De Haan on Feb 27 2010
Woke up this morning to hear the news of another devastating earthquake: This one registering 8.8 in Central Chile.
Wondering what this is going to mean for the people of that shaken region even as we continue to hear about the hundreds of thousands in Haiti who are still without housing, security, or answers for what [...] - A Foolishness that is Off the Charts |
Posted by Mart De Haan on Feb 18 2010
A proverb of the Bible says,
“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Prov 26:12).
Of Proverbs 26:12, an often “heady” Word Biblical Commentary says,“This is an astounding proverb. Are there degrees of folly? And is there a degree of folly that is simply [...] - Sobriety |
Posted by Mart De Haan on Jan 08 2010
More than a few times, I’ve been inspired by those who have learned the hard way to understand the meaning of sobriety.
But what if we said together… OK, some of us get the thing about misusing alcohol, street drugs, or even prescription meds. Maybe it’s time to take our story to the next step…
Am thinking [...] - Supernatural Hope for 2010 |
Posted by Mart De Haan on Dec 29 2009
As we look forward once again to the turning of the calendar, many of us have come to the threshold of 2010 carrying heavy concerns either for ourselves– or for others.
So it might be worth thinking together about a statement that the Apostle Paul wrote in the middle of his own problems and concerns [...] - Absolutes and Relatives |
Posted by Mart De Haan on Dec 08 2009
Is it possible that some of us are so committed to defending “absolute truth” that we forget how “relative” our understanding can be?
Admittedly, those who say “all things are relative” often mean that one opinion is as good as another—especially when they want their own opinion to be as good, or better, than anyone else’s.
Relative [...] - To Forgive or Not to Forgive |
Posted by Mart De Haan on Nov 23 2009
If the Bible is full of “studies in contrast” and “truth in tension” rather than “self-contradictions and discrepancies,” another example is what the Scriptures variously say about forgiveness.
Some passages indicate that one mark of a follower of Christ is to forgive those who harm us (Matt 6:14-15; Col 3:13).
Other texts make it clear that we [...] - Studies in Contrast #2 |
Posted by Mart De Haan on Nov 18 2009
Sometimes the apparent contradictions of the Bible happen in such quick succession that it is apparent that they are intentional devices to provoke thought.
For example, in Proverbs 26:4, the person of wisdom says, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.” The very next proverb in vs 5 [...] - In Hope of Changing Seasons |
Posted by Mart De Haan on Oct 25 2009
It was raining and 43 degrees yesterday when I stopped to look up into this tree.
Its trunk and branches are strong. Yet by its appearance, it is joining the rest of us in acknowledging that we have no power to resist the seasons of life.
Solomon, struggled for a while to make sense of a [...] - How Are We Doing? |
Posted by Mart De Haan on Sep 16 2009
In “How the Mighty Fall,” author Jim Collins analyzes how once successful corporations cycle through predictable patterns of decline. In his analysis, problems begin when companies take their success for granted and begin to stray from what worked for them in the past.
Collins goes on to say the tendency is for managers to overextend themselves, [...] - The Wisdom of the Second Opinion |
Posted by Mart De Haan on Sep 09 2009
While thinking lately not only about some bloody 15th and 16th century periods of church history, but also about the way church people continue to bitterly divide over theological and political differences, I’m reminded how important it is to try to attach authority to no more and no less than what the Bible says.
In this [...]
