Mostrando resultados por Editor "Elevate Publishing" en Cristianismo

There is an unnamed feeling that haunts most men. It's a sense that there's more to life than the day-to-day existence we're living now. But the culture of this world ambition and greed and fear teaches us to ignore that feeling. Our culture nudges us toward isolation and insecurity, boredom and fatigue, selfishness and survival. It teaches us to keep our heads down, to follow the system, to man up and power through because that's what we men are supposed to do.

Many of us would say it takes guts and a little bit of crazy to step toe-to-toe with a powerful, 1700-pound bull. For hall-of-fame bullfighter, Jeremy Sparks, it took faith. Sparks' remarkable and illustrious journey began at a young age when he received a God-given calling to become a professional bullfighter.

In a culture enamored with youth and beauty, the 50th birthday is often seen as a death sentence...in more ways than one. It's easy to see why. What used to be perky is now otherwise. What's trending now trumps wisdom. A once-healthy body now declares mutiny on any healthy choices. And, after years of putting others first, many find they are lonely, depressed, and lack meaningful work.

The news and media are full of discussions about religious radicals. Their extreme actions dominate our headlines and political conversations because their behavior is so far from society's comfort zone. Much of this kind of behavior that we see is negative and destructive, but maybe there's something we can do about it. Perhaps it's time to think about a different kind of religious radicalism.

The apostle Peter described faith as "much more precious than gold that perishes". As gold passes through purifying fire, so Peter says a man's faith must be tried in order that it "might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7). While we address the crises in our lives that try our faith, we rarely praise God the way Job did, and we rarely submit ourselves to the purifying fire as Peter suggests.