Don’t Allow Yourself to be Tripped Up

Person tripping over a loose cable.

I was once taught the first step to any sin is to believe I would always be able to ‘say no’ to temptation. Instead of counting on my willpower, I was taught to do whatever I could to set up protections against temptation. That way I would increase my chances of avoiding sin. Brethren, God…

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Remain or Repent; Which is it?

Sign reading "Time Is Running Out.

It has become popular to use the expression, “God made me who I am,” as an excuse toward all sorts of behaviors the Church teaches against. “God doesn’t make mistakes,” is another excuse. I say excuse, because we never want to remain how we are if we don’t like who we are. Brethren, in whatever…

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Mind Your Business

Green sign with "Mind your own business.

We all like to think we are successful Christians. We all like to think we ‘know what we’re doing’ when it comes to how to live our Orthodox Christian Faith. If that weren’t bad enough, we all also like to think we ‘know better’ than other people how to be ‘good’ Orthodox Christians. The sad…

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The Forces of Evil

Dictionary page showing the word "Evil".

I can’t tell you how often I hear people admit they do not believe in demons. Many do not believe there are ‘forces out there’ constantly trying to trip us up. The forces of evil are real. They exist, and they have been fighting against the Church since Adam and Eve. Brethren, we know that…

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Beware of Judgment

Yellow warning sign against cloudy sky.

As Christians we know we are not supposed to judge others. We quote to each other all the time. “Judge not, lest you be judged,” (Matthew 7.1) but judgment does much deeper. When we judge others, not only will we be judged, we are already judging ourselves. Brethren, since the ungodly did not see fit…

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Inspired by God

Open book with heart-shaped pages.

People often talk about ‘God’s plan’ for their lives. We sometimes think God ‘placed’ someone in our life as ‘a sign’ from God. With this in mind, many believe that if we submit our life to God He will make everything better. He does make everything better, but rarely in the way we think. About…

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Run to the Light

A man approaching a cross during sunrise

There was a study of the healing power of light in which it was discovered that patients who were positioned near windows healed faster than patients away from natural sources of light. What is true about light in our physical health is also true in our spiritual health. The Lord said to his disciples: “God…

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Do Not Envy Evil

Icon of Jesus with crown of thorns.

It is totally natural. We look around and see ‘everyone but us’ enjoying life. We are struggling to keep the fast of Great Lent and attend extra church services while our friends are going to parties and living it up. We feel like oddballs among our friends, and sometimes even family. Great Lent will be…

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The Power of Today

Icon of Jesus with crown of thorns.

From the moment we become aware of our mortality our minds ‘live’ in the future. Will we have enough money to retire? How much life insurance do I need? Will I ever pay off my student loans? The preoccupation with the future means we ignore the present. The spiritual problem with ‘living in the future’…

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