Life Over Coffee

Shows Main Idea – When you think of fasting, where does it rank on your list of disciplines you employ regularly? I would imagine that going without food for an extended period is low on the list of most Christians' pursuit of holiness. I think we all know why. But what if I told you it's one of our most vital of the spiritual disciplines?

Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-422-the-grace-that-comes-to-those-who-practice-fasting/

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Pride is a catch-all word for sin. You could say that pride is sin, and sin is pride. Pride is a helpful word in that it accurately describes our fallenness. It is a word we know and a word we understand. For example, when I say that I am proud, everyone immediately knows that it is unacceptable and I need help. Pride is like a warning alarm that calls the gospel-centered person to action. The term gets you thinking and moving in the right direction, but pride also fails in its analysis because it misses my fallenness specifics that need gospel solutions.

Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/why-it-is-hard-to-repent-of-pride/

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Our minds are an integral part of ourselves that establishes a definitive trajectory for how we live well in God’s world. Did you know the Christian mind evolves into four different types? Like mile-markers up the interstate, we begin with one type of mind, and then it evolves into better versions, aiming for the purest kind of mind a person can have, which is the mind of Christ. As you consider the four types, what kind of mind do you have? Where are you in this four-step progression? Let’s analyze the evolution of the Christian mind.

Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/an-analysis-of-the-evolution-and-superiority-of-the-christian-mind/

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Shows Main Idea – Everyone knows about toxic masculinity, and there are just as many opinions to defend it as there are that denounce it. Have you ever thought about toxic femininity? Is it possible for a woman to be toxic? How do they become that way, and what is a path forward? The reasons they fall into the trap are real, and the dangers are tempting, but there is hope to become un-caught from this blinding sin of Christian, toxic femininity

Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-421-ten-steps-leading-to-toxic-christian-femininity/

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One of the primary responsibilities of a wife is to disciple her husband. She is the number one sanctifying human agent in his life. Nobody knows more about him than she does. To disciple any person well, you must know them well, and who knows a husband better than his wife? She has seen him during his best days, and she has experienced him on the worst days. What he does to keep others from knowing him is more apparent to her. Thus, the million dollar question is, how does a wife provide soul care for her husband?

Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/nine-effective-ways-to-disciple-your-husband-while-submitting-to-him/

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What is contentment, and how do we acquire it? Did you know it is the gift of the person who can live well on any point of the abundance to emptiness spectrum? Finding contentment seems elusive in our frantic and distracted world. Other matters weigh in vying to control our hearts. Contentment becomes a memory, an old friend from another era when you reminisced, a day where quietness was commonplace, and needs were few. The question remains: how do you find it? Did you know contentment comes from learning how to live with everything or nothing at all?

Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/contentment-comes-from-the-blessing-of-disappointment/

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Shows Main Idea – Pastoral ministry is one of the more complex vocations a person could choose. We all have our stories. We know the statistics, the burnout rates, and the aftermath of a failed pastor. But there are more of them who do it well. Extremely well. The successes far outshine the failures, though we hardly talk about those doing it the right way. Goodness is not as tweetable as badness, but it’s worth asking; what makes a good pastor? What are some things you should look for in a potential pastoral candidate?

Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-420-how-do-you-assess-and-prepare-a-future-pastor-for-ministry/

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Utopia does not exist. It’s a mirage in a desert, similar to the person who wants to be perfect. My goal here is not to rain on anyone’s parade but to help gain a better perspective on living well in God’s world while releasing ourselves from pursuing the unrealistic, nonexistent perfect life. My concern is that some of us are not comfortable in our own skin, and as we stare at imperfection in the face, we hope to find something a little more perfect. If you’re that striving soul, I have excellent news for you; God’s strength needs your imperfection to magnify His fame for your good.

Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/four-reasons-to-praise-god-for-your-imperfections/

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Can a Christian walk away from God? To help work through this question, we must first recognize and accept that Christianity is not neat, and sin has never been respectful of our preferred categories. We also have to admit that this conversation is subjective in nature: we cannot know what is happening in a person’s heart or all the ancillary issues that contribute to why a person would “accept and reject” Christ. The Hebrew writer is suggesting there can be this kind of Christian—a believer who spurns the grace he once received for whatever reasons. What does that mean? How are we to think about friends who reject Christ?

Read Here: https://rickthomas.net/i-met-a-man-who-refuses-to-walk-away-from-his-sin/

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Shows Main Idea – Divorce is an unending complexity. Even those who breathe a sigh of relief because it is over are not immune from the challenges. Suppose you were living through an unwanted divorce, or know someone who is. The ex-spouse has primary custody of the children. What are some key things you would want to know, common mistakes people generally make, and proper responses to your spouse, children, and new lifestyle? Here are a few thoughts for the spouse whose world just turned upside down.

Show Notes: https://rickthomas.net/podcast/ep-419-your-ex-spouse-has-the-kids-and-youre-afraid/

Will you help us so we can continue to provide free content to the world? You can become a supporting member here rickthomas.net/recurring-membership/ Or you can make a one-time or recurring donation(s) here https://rickthomas.net/donations/