thoughts on life and faith
Originally Posted on March 21, 2017 by mattsimonblog 17 Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. 18 I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. 19 When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. (Psalm 94:17-19) I would say that … Continue reading You Don’t Have to Worry
Often what we see as a destination, God sees as a highway. As finite creatures, we see things with limits, restraints, and restrictions. However, as a God who stands outside of the possibilities of man, our daily circumstances fail to keep Him boxed in. Take worry for instance Worry is an attempt for the helpless … Continue reading Worry is a Highway, Not a Destination
28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28 It's been a long winter. You would think that living in Ohio we would come to expect the unpredictable snowfalls of spring, yet the Midwestern optimism in us will … Continue reading Winter’s Spring and God’s Rest
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send … Continue reading More Than Enough Work To Do
13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit" - 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time … Continue reading The Beach Life of Jesus
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. - James 1:27 It is difficult to look suffering in the eye. It's uncomfortable, painful, and awkward. It is easier for us to distract and distance … Continue reading True Religion and Christian Failure
18 He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches." 20 … Continue reading Mustard and Gospel Legacy
14 . . . yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. - James 4:14 This weekend I spent a good amount of time at a trampoline park. These are every kid's dream. Floors and walls … Continue reading Trampolines and Life Lessons
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. - James 1:2-4 The words of James are never veiled. You … Continue reading The True Grit of Joy
35 Jesus wept - John 11:35 There should be room in our theology for sadness. We look at the stories of Jesus, and we see an encompassing array of emotions - more than one might expect. If we are not careful, our faith and how we communicate it to others can become so easily become … Continue reading Jesus Wept
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