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Tips to de-stress | What does Jesus say about rest?
The self-help books hardly fit on the shelf anymore. The collection of podcasts endless. Magazines are full of them. And coaches galore who want to help you. With what? The search for peace. A popular theme in these busy times. So who is the ultimate rest coach? The answer may surprise you: Jesus! What Jesus? What does Jesus have to say about rest? Well – quite a lot actually. Jesus about rest Jesus lives full of gas. He always has people around him. Often people with sky-high expectations. Always going against the grain. That must have been exhausting. Yet Jesus perseveres. What does Jesus say about rest? What is his “secret”? Pressing the pause button Anyone who thinks Jesus was always “on” is wrong. Jesus regularly hit the pause button. If you read the stories about Jesus in...
Dealing with stress | Tips from a coach
Stress is not necessarily wrong. A little stress ensures that you react alertly to situations. Unhealthy stress is another story. When stress persists for a long time, you can develop chronic complaints that you can’t get rid of quickly. That is why it is important to do something about your stress symptoms. Because only then can you prevent overstrain and burnout. Holistic Approach Balance of soul, body and mind is important. If one of these three is out of balance it will affect the other two. As a result stress can have different causes. You can work on what causes you stress (if you already know), but as a coach I like to look at all three aspects of someone. I use the TotalBalance method for this. This involves looking at someone’s past, present and future. Awareness is key. Who were ...
Storm at the campsite
Our camping trip starts out promising. The campground is truly breathtaking. An oasis of green and peace. The trees sway in the wind all day. The river rolls into the big deep blue lake. Jake and Tom are camping in France with a large group of friends. Finally, it’s time to go out together again. Away from the daily grind and away from all the restrictions. Fold out the camping chair, a beer in your hand and relax. However, that relaxed feeling will not last long. The men have no idea of the devastating storm that is lurking around the corner. Jake and Tom have fixed a large tent. Setting it up is a big test of their friendship. Missing poles, bent pegs. Tent fabric backwards. In short: misery. But the men don’t give up and when the tent is finally up, they toast the job done. And they are...
I think Christianity is boring!
There was a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine had given out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.”“You must not tell me what to do,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” Jesus’ mother then told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” The Jews have rules about ritual washing, and for this purpose six stone water jars were there, each one large enough to hold about a hundred litres. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill these jars with water.” They filled them to the brim, and then he told them, “Now draw some water out and take it to the man in charge of the feast.” They took him the water, which now had turned into wine, and he tasted it. He di...
Is it really true?
The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples, when he saw Jesus walking by. “There is the Lamb of God!” he said. The two disciples heard him say this and went with Jesus. Jesus turned, saw them following him, and asked, “What are you looking for?” They answered, “Where do you live, Rabbi?” (This word means “Teacher”.) “Come and see,” he answered. (It was then about four o’clock in the afternoon.) So they went with him and saw where he lived, and spent the rest of that day with him. One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. At once he found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah.” (This word means “Christ”.) Then he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “Your name is Simon son of John, but you will be called Cephas.” ...
Is faith emotional or rational?
The Jewish authorities in Jerusalem sent some priests and Levites to John, to ask him, “Who are you?” John did not refuse to answer, but spoke out openly and clearly, saying: “I am not the Messiah.” “Who are you, then?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No, I am not,” John answered. “Are you the Prophet?” they asked. “No,” he replied. “Then tell us who you are,” they said. “We have to take an answer back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John answered by quoting the prophet Isaiah: “I am ‘the voice of someone shouting in the desert: Make a straight path for the Lord to travel!’ ” The messengers, who had been sent by the Pharisees, then they. asked John, “If you are not the Messiah nor Elijah nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?” John answered, “I baptize with water, but a...
The bio of a word?
In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. The Word was the source of life. The Word was the source of life; What was made had life in union with the Word and this life brought light to humanity. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out. God sent his messenger, a man named John, who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe. He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light. This was the real light — the light that comes into the world and shines on everyone. The Word was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet...
Where is God in suffering?
God in suffering? How does that work? A fair question. If we look around us we see a lot of misery and sorrow. Why does God allow this? A God of love, who as a father would take care of us? Sometimes that seems hard to reconcile. Many people experience God as cruel and ruthless. And why would you want to know more about such a God? A question for you. What answer would be satisfying enough for you? Would there be a good answer to why children are drowning in the sea as they flee with their parents? When you are caught in an abusive situation? Or when you have to say goodbye to someone you love very much? There is no answer that will suddenly make up for the suffering in this world. We can get angry at God for why he doesn’t intervene. Why does he allow so much death and destruction? ...
The Biggest “But” in the Bible (Ephesians 2:4)
Trivia time! What’s the biggest but in the Bible? We will discover the answer to that question today in our study of Ephesians 2:4. I will also answer a quick question from a reader about the topic of Calvinism. Before that, however, I have a bit of news! I now accept Dogecoin and other cryptocurrencies on my website, and if you follow some suggested steps, you can earn about $60 in free cryptocurrency, which you can then use to join my discipleship group, cash it out, or keep it invested. How to Join My Discipleship for FREE and also get paid $50! If you’ve been thinking of joining my discipleship group for a while, I have a way for you to get one month free and also get paid $50 extra in the process. If you’re already part of my discipleship group, you can do this also. I now accept cryp...
Sin Leads to Wrath (Ephesians 2:3)
Ephesians 2:1-3 explains the greatest problem humanity faces on this earth. Ephesians 2:3 reveals the root cause of this problem, and how it leads to the destruction of humanity. This podcast study explains all of this from Ephesians 2:2. Before that, however, we look at a question from a reader about Critical Race Theory. Question about Critical Race Theory I listened to your recent discussions of Critical Race Theory, and while I agree that there might be some concerns with CRT, since the goal is to get rid of racism so that all people can live in love and unity with each other, shouldn’t we accept and embrace CRT, or at least allow it to have a voice in our schools and churches? CRT is part of an overall conversation about race relations, and is therefore a good thing. Right? Everybody ...
The Subjects of Satan (Ephesians 2:2)
Do you understand what is going on in the world? You would, if you understand the real problem with humanity. Ephesians 2:2 begins to show us what this problem is. The verse contains three phrases that point to one single reality as the identity of our problem. Before we get to our study of Ephesians 2:2, however, we will be answering a question from a reader about hell and ultimate reconciliation. Ultimate Reconciliation? Do you think the ultimate restoration of all things (not the same thing as universalism though people could get nervous and think so) is possible? I address this question in my book, What is Hell?, but let me briefly summarize what I write in the book. First, let me state the 3 basic views on what happens to unregenerate people after they die. The first view is Eternal C...
What does it mean to be dead in trespasses and sins? (Ephesians 2:1)
Ephesians 2 is one of the most misunderstood and misapplied chapters of the Bible. This study provides a brief overview of how to understand Ephesians 2, and then takes a deeper look at Ephesians 2:1 as an introduction to the chapter. We also discuss a question from a reader about the problem of peace in the Middle East. Israel and the Palestinian Conflict I recently received this question from Aaron: Just listened to your recent podcast about Ephesians and with the comments as to the situation in Israel and Palestine. I found the two particularly contrasting – you seem to be so close and yet so far. Theologically, you are on the side which understands the immediacy of the kingdom of God and our participation in it in the here and now through loving our neighbors, and your understanding of...
