The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). John 10:10 (AMPC) Some of the old hymns we sing are absolutely beautiful. On the other hand, some of them seem to contribute to a culture I hate. The lyrics I’m talking about make it seem like we’re living in a world of woe, taking it one day at a time, doomed to barely get by as we plead for mercy drops to fall around us, just holding the fort until Jesus comes back. This kind of attitude creates a victim mentality and causes people to think they’re locked in to the life …

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 When God made mankind, he created a family for himself. He’s our Father, and just as human parents don’t want to control their adult children, he doesn’t want to control us. Kids are mis-managers in general. They don’t know how to manage their teeth, their clothes, their bedrooms, their diets, or even going to the washroom at first! But with time and a lot of training, they learn to manage these things and more. We teach them how to drive, how to walk and talk, how to handle people, how to obey the law and, as believers, how to understand who they are in Christ. And we do …