Mark Affleck

5 FRI

Are You Doing Enough CONSIDERING in Your Life?

To believe with a CAPITAL B that God is control–and we aren’t–we must be actively CONSIDERING everything that pops up in the cinema of our mind.    con·sid·er “Think carefully about something, typically before making a decision.”    Every person on the planet is constantly considering something–day-in and day-out. But for Christians, the real definition of CONSIDER...
4 THU

If YOUR Faith is Frozen-In-Place, BEWARE!

Even though the sun is bathing the western world with increasing amounts of pre-summer warmth as April turns to May, many members of our global online tribe are saying their faith is “FROZEN IN PLACE.”    I am not surprised. As a new believer following Christ, my faith alternated between cold and frozen. It happened to me as a stressed-out CEO constantly battling anxiety, emotional confusion,...
3 WED

“MANTRA CHRISTIANITY” is a Belief Killer

Most of us have heard this mantra in one form or another: “Dream it. Visualize it. Experience it” (DI-VI-EI). It’s a common take on life embraced by gullible denizens living in the 21st Century Thunder Dome. And, yes, CHRISTIANS can easily fall for its allure.     The DI-VI-EI mantra makes it difficult to believe that God is in control and we aren’t. Think about it like this: How can...
2 TUE

Microwave Faith and the SHORTCUT to Nowhere

Yesterday while exploring the world of HACKS—steps to simplify and improve our life—we concluded that all hacks (and especially spiritual hacks) can easily become glorified SHORTCUTS to nowhere.      We’re jumping off that hack horse today as fast as we threw our leg over its saddle yesterday. We’re riding away from the word HACK because it’s a silly aphorism cooked up by a cliché-driven,...
1 MON

Stop HACKING and Get Out of Your Own Head!

I have no idea how or why the term HACK has reached such lofty status in 21st-Century life. In the not-so-distant past, the term was reserved for someone doing something poorly or irresponsibly. You know…people doing a bad job playing their role as a news reporter or baseball player or wanna-be motivational speaker, to name but a few examples. NOT ANYMORE. Today we have life hacks to squeeze every...
5 FRI

Has God Ever Been a Million Miles Away from YOU?

This just in from our global online tribe: “God feels like he is a million miles away from me right now and I feel bad.”    All Christians–at one time or another, to one degree or another—are pecked by this pain.    Knowing that these feelings will come is more than a “soft line of comfort.” Of course it’s comforting to know that information. But it also gives us the strength...
4 THU

Do YOU Have BELIEF That Blows Away YOUR Suffering?

The Word of God is TRUTH. The word of the world is DECEPTION. That tenet impacts believers and unbelievers alike:    UNBELIEVERS: Unbelievers need to be told about God’s truth so they can REJECT the world’s lies.    BELIEVERS: Believers need to LIVE life on God’s sturdy foundation of TRUTH and not EXIST on the world’s slippery slope of LIES.    Belief is at the heart...
3 WED

The Two Sides of INTIMACY with God

Intimacy with God is one of the most overlooked aspects of being a Christian. The word INTIMATE is mostly associated with the surface-based transactions we make with others. Most often it is an expression of love between people—flowers, cards, time to together, and the open sharing of feelings.    in·ti·mate / closely acquainted; familiar, close, cherished, faithful, devoted, a very close...
2 TUE

Would YOU Call YOUR Faith Fragile?

Our belief that God is in control—and we are not—can be a FRAGILE part of our faith walk. Our SAVING FAITH in Jesus may be sturdy and resistant to sway, but the depth of our belief can range from flimsy to brittle. This is where that pesky question comes into play: Do YOU believe with a lower-case b or a CAPITAL B?    The prophet Isaiah knew all about this fragility. He addressed it by predicting...
1 MON

How Does YOUR “Doubt” Score Against Thomas?

This just in from our global online tribe: “Thank you for this series on capital b belief. It has really deepened my belief. It’s the daily repetition of the message that drives home the point. I still struggle with doubt but it’s improving.”    This comment raises the importance of making the BELIEF—DOUBT transfer—the next step after we deepen our belief. The goal is to connect our deepening...
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