prayer ← Julian Freeman

How Could I Sin?

Dec

2012

A prayer for growth in holiness: Father, how could I sin? Having seen your hatred for sin and your love for righteousness, how could I sin? I have seen the fullness of your just anger borne by Christ for me. How could I be speak angrily to others? I have seen your patience with me ...

A Prayer for Balance

Nov

2012

Lord, give me balance. Between faith in your work and faithfulness in my work, Between speaking with conviction and hearing with compassion, Between knowing things and knowing people, Between speaking truth with winsomeness and saying words of wisdom, Between working with diligence and resting in providence, Between leading as a servant and serving as a ...

We Study by Faith

Oct

2012

This is a busy study week for me. In the Lord’s providence I’ll be preaching three very different messages over the next few days, so I’m studying lots in preparation. Tonight as I finished working my way through another commentary and compiling notes I had a funny thought: Even on the most productive of days, ...

Nagging the Judge

Aug

2012

Try picturing yourself in a situation where you’re likely to nag. What situation is it for you? Many wives nag their husbands about conversations they have to have, jobs that need to be done around the house, and decisions that need to be made. Many husbands nag their wives for more physical affection. Fathers are ...

What’s Outside the Cookie Cutter

Aug

2012

Imagine for a second that you’re inept in the kitchen (for some of us, that’s not much of a stretch). Picture this: you need to make one cookie. It has to be in a specific shape. Thankfully, you have the right cookie cutter and the right ingredients. But one problem remains: how do you make ...

That Is Sin

Aug

2012

Have you ever experienced an uneasy conscience? It’s not guilty, because you’re not sure you sinned, but it’s also not clear, because you’re not sure that you haven’t sinned. It’s just uneasy. Have you ever tried to identify sin in your life so as to confess it to God or to others? Have you ever wondered if ...

It’s a Strange Thing Being a Pastor

Apr

2012

Being a pastor is a strange thing. We proclaim a message with the power of God to change people, but we can’t even change ourselves. We call others to perfection, as Jesus did, but our lives are full of imperfection. We must shepherd like the Shepherd though we’re just one of the sheep. We seek ...