Entitlement Can Hit You in Ways You Might Never Suspect

          The people of God (Israel) were chosen by God to fulfill a unique calling—to be a light to all the other nations of the nations of the world.  God chose them because of their willingness to be used by Him for His purposes.   But after a while the Israelites began to think that they were chosen--not because with God they could fulfill a special purpose--but because they were a special people, uniquely favored and loved for who they were. 

What Kind of Love Do You Have For God?

          In Sunday’s message about Job, I talked about how important relationship is when it comes to getting answers to our questions about God.  The question that Job is really being tested on is this: can he love God for who God is—or does he only love God for what God can do for him?

The Importance of A Noise Cancelling Lifestyle

          While hiding in a cave on the mountain the word of God asks Elijah, ‘What are you doing here?’  Elijah proceeds to launch into a rather whiney rant along the lines of “No one likes me, Everybody hates me, and all my hard work and sacrifice on your behalf, Lord, has fallen on deaf ears.”

         And here’s what most people miss about this story: 

So Is People Pleasing Such a Bad Thing?

         This is a fair question, based on Sunday’s sermon.  Wanting to make others happy isn’t a bad thing in itself.  It’s what it does to the one who is compelled to please—someone with a compulsion to win the approval of others.