What’s so special about Christmas?
Thoughts on real meaning of Christmas, gift-giving and celebrations.
How to take the bite out of gift giving
If Christmas gift-giving feels like an annual performance review that you fail each year, consider adopting these 5 resolutions.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m grateful for your involvement with Wednesday in the Word.
Miriam: How to handle resentment
How do you handle it when life isn’t fair? It’s easy to grow frustrated with our own lot in life and resent those who seem to have it better. Consider the story of Miriam.
Barnabas: The High Calling of Playing Second Fiddle
Barnabas is an great example of the incredible good you can do when you don’t care who gets credit.
7 Habits of Failed Leaders
Failed CEOs shared these 7 habits. What about leaders in the church?
The easy way to make a lot of coffee
As a ministry leader you probably make a lot of coffee. I’ve found using the Toddy Coffee system is the easiest way to make the most coffee with the least amount of mess, fuss and clean up. Here’s how.
Prayer and Spiritual Formation: How does it work?
The theology of Spiritual Formation assumes there is a level a spirituality that I can have if I do certain spiritual practices. Prayer is typically is one of those practices. Yet, the biblical picture of prayer is not a spiritual discipline that I use to reach a higher spiritual level. Rather prayer is an unavoidable mandatory battlefield in the war of faith.
Does Spiritual Formation seek the right kind of change?
Not only does the theology of spiritual formation aim at the wrong target, spiritual formation seeks the wrong kind of change. While spiritual disciplines focus on success at outward righteous behavior, the Bible teaches that the goal of spiritual maturity is a strong unshakeable faith.
Is Spiritual Formation shooting at the right target?
The theology of Spiritual Formation sounds great on paper, but it is focused on the wrong target. Progress toward greater spirituality is measured by what can be seen (for example, how well I maintain the routines of sabbath, bible reading, confession; how loving my actions are toward others; how much I experience greater joy and contentment; how well I serve and sacrifice, etc.) which means success is measured by outward righteous behavior. But is outward righteous behavior the right target?
Does Spiritual Formation work? Answers from Haggai
“Spiritual formation” is a hot topic today. But does it work? The Old Testament prophet Haggai would answer no.
About the Author
Krisan Marotta is a Bible teacher and host of Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.