Month: September 2016

Categories
Podcasts

PWTE Podcast Episode 033: Can Anything Good Come Out of Psychology?

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Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

In this episode of the Praying With The Eyes podcast Pastor Doug Brauner and Richelle Hecker reflect on a blog written by Dr. Sarah Rainer entitled, The Integration of Christianity and Psychology. Christians hold various views on the relationship between Christianity and psychology with some believing that Christians ought to avoid integrating psychological insights into our Christian walk to interpreting our faith through a therapeutic model. Does psychology undermine Christian teaching? Can we blend Christianity and psychology? These are couple of questions that shape the discussion of this episode of the Praying With The Eyes podcast.

Praying With The Eyes Blog: Nobody Wants to Ge the Look.

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Scripture:

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

Firm Foundation

Accept No Substitutes!

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:11

Let me introduce you to Angel, one of the concrete crew that laid the foundation for our new house.  Angel is in his 60s and he knows what he is doing.  The footing and the stem wall have been carefully planned and poured.  A firm foundation has been laid for a solid house. Angel knows that it’s crucial for everything else that will follow.

firm-foundationI wonder if you and I are as wise as Angel.  Not about house foundations, but about life foundations.  What is your life built upon?  Is it built on something that will last?  Is it built on something that will hold firm when storms come?  Is it built on something you can depend on when all else fails?

Jesus Christ is our firm foundation.  He is the Chief Cornerstone, the sure Rock, the Foundation that holds firm in the storms of life.  If your life is built upon the Lord Jesus, upon His cross and resurrection, upon His sure Word, you need not fear whatever may come.  No matter what may come, grief, pain, betrayal, persecution, even death, your Foundation will hold.

There is no substitute for a good foundation.  This is not the place to take shortcuts or try to save money.  Good concrete, good rebar, good workmanship, there is no substitute for a good house foundation.

And the same is true for the foundation of your eternal life.  Only One can be trusted, only One was good enough, only One could pay for your sin and open heaven for you.  Jesus Christ, the sure Foundation, accept no substitute!

Lord Jesus, thank you that I can always depend upon You.  Forgive me when I think someone or something else could ever supplant you in my life.  I rest upon you this day and I know You will not fail me.  Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Text and Picture Copyright Steve Nickodemus

 

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

Looking for the Yellow Brick Road

Paint Mines, Calhan, Colorado Copyright Douglas P Brauner

Jesus is our one and only yellow brick road to the Father.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Why are you discouraged, my soul?
Why are you so restless?
Put your hope in God, because I will still praise him.
He is my savior and my God.”
Psalm 42:5 God’s Word to the Nations

Paint Mines, Calhan, Colorado Copyright Douglas P Brauner
Paint Mines, Calhan, Colorado
Copyright Douglas P Brauner

One of my favorite scenes in the Wizard of Oz was when Dorothy reached Oz and everything changed to color. Having flown away from Kansas in black and white, she enters the world of color as her house landed on the Wicked Witch of the East. The yellow brick road was really yellow and not some shade of gray.

Hope filled Dorothy’s heart when she learned that the yellow brick road would lead to city of Oz and to the Wizard who lived there. He could return her to Kansas, for “there’s no place like home.”

We human creatures spend a great deal of time looking for the yellow brick road.

There is only one yellow brick road and it is the road of Christ. It is a road that both leads to him and a road that flows from him because Jesus himself is the road. He leads us not to Oz, but to his Father where we experience grace, mercy and forgiveness. It is the road of hope.

There is no longer a need for any of us to look for the yellow brick road. Instead we look to Jesus who was crucified for his wandering Munchkins.

Text and Photo Copyright Douglas P Brauner