I remember hearing that a pastor gave a Bentley to another pastor... I've also read of sprawling mansions that pastors live in... expensive cars, thousand dollar shoes, Armani suits... I've always worried about the message that sends to those pastors represent God to... but let's look at it together! 

Peer pressure and Jesus' harsh words for those who pressure others.  Let's explore both, but specifically asking the questions about what we consider harmless that others may not, or areas that we've become jaded in where others may still enjoy innocence.

What if there was one weekly behavior that would remind you to self-examine, to think about others, to make better decisions, to put your life in balance, and to treat others the way they should be treated... and what if participating in this one weekly event, made a world of difference in your choices and outcomes.

Statistically, weekly church attendance is one of the best things you can do for your marriage, kids, bank accounts, mental and physical health... and so much more.

People have resorted to publicly shaming others online for the smallest things.  We never consider that we probably wouldn't want to have the behavior we exhibit toward others turned on us... we also rarely consider that our physical and spiritual realities are so closely tied together.

Kingdom people learn to be offended less often and work to keep channels for forgiveness open... something buying into the shaming mentality prevents.  Jesus gives instruction that we should keep close.

I love the shrinking city of Bogalusa, LA… it’s a city with so many memories for me, but it’s now half the population of its peak and the world seems to have just moved on from her. Take a few minutes with me and find the blessing in realizing that "things are not what they used to be"... and how when the world moves past our favorite places, it reminds us to look forward to cities that will never decline.

For some this may mean a lot... for some... maybe not.  I just love telling the story because it's one of the times in my life that I know God was moving... and a time in my life where my faith grew tremendously.

We've all seen people use Christianity to get things for themselves... use it as a tool, a fish, on a business card to get more business... seen a politician use prayer or an annual gathering or church building as a way to manipulate a group... or even well meaning people use it as a tool to accomplish some act of social justice.  What if Satan relishes when Christians reduce their faith to become a means to an end... a way to get what we want.  Let's talk about it.

Lots of people are closed-minded... we all know that.  It's just that we have trouble gauging who is and isn't open to the evidence.  This is how 2 news networks can see the same event and report seeing completely different things happen.  People do this with miracles too... and with things involving faith and God.

We should also learn the difference between people who are open to evidence of God and people who are anti-God... or anti-faith...