by Mark Shaw | Sep 22, 2011 | Addiction
As you will see, the state of Alabama has got this one right! Read the following which is quoted directly from the Alabama Dept of Public Safety driver license manual on www.dps.alabama.gov WHO CANNOT BE LICENSED An Alabama driver license shall not be issued to: •...
by Mark Shaw | Sep 13, 2011 | Addiction, Church Life, Truth in Love Staff
Is American churchianity encouraging addictive thinking? It seems to me that what is commonly called “Christianity” in America is simply selfishness clothed, dipped, and immersed in “me, myself, and I.” People are encouraged to focus upon...
by Mark Shaw | Sep 5, 2011 | Biblical Counseling, National Recovery Month, Posts by Mark
“Anything I place in front of my recovery I will lose anyway.” Really? How about this statement instead: “Anything I place in front of Christ I will lose anyway.” Recovery or Christ? Is recovery the god of the person who made the first...
by Mark Shaw | Sep 3, 2011 | Uncategorized
Several friends and colleagues sent me the DIALOGUE & DISCUSSION that medical doctors had during their “intensive” investigation of 4 years regarding their re-definition of “addiction.” As of August 15, 2011, they are...
by Mark Shaw | Sep 1, 2011 | National Recovery Month, Posts by Mark, Truth in Love Staff
It’s September which means one thing: it’s National Recovery Month! While I like the word “recovery,” I love the biblical word, “transformation”, so much better because God wants more for the person struggling with an addiction! II...
by Mark Shaw | Aug 16, 2011 | Uncategorized
I love days like today when every national and local news outlet is reporting a DIALOGUE & DISCUSSION that medical doctors had during their “intensive” investigation of 4 years regarding their re-definition of “addiction.” Now, they are...
by Mark Shaw | Jul 30, 2011 | Church Life
I picked on youth pastors and seminaries – now, I’m picking on my own field: biblical counseling. Is biblical counseling hurting or helping the church? Well, that depends. In terms of informal biblical counseling of one Christian loving another Christian,...
by Mark Shaw | Jul 16, 2011 | Church Life, Truth in Love Staff
Sadly, there is yet another new sport for you to watch. It’s called Churchianity. You simply need to pick a big building with a Christianese sounding name on it, go when they give their times for a “worship service,” sit and listen respectfully....
by Mark Shaw | Jul 15, 2011 | Church Life, Truth in Love Staff
I live in Alabama. There are two sports teams in Alabama that play college football: The University of Alabama and Auburn University. These two rivals are talked about on sports radio 365 days a year, unless it’s a leap year which makes it 366 days a year. Every...
by Mark Shaw | Jul 10, 2011 | Church Life, Truth in Love Staff
Don’t we say the dumbest things when we speak Christianese? The word, “minister,” means “to give service to the necessities” so someone who says after a praise song, “That really ministered to me,” is saying that the really...
by Mark Shaw | Jul 7, 2011 | Church Life, Truth in Love Staff
There is a new language out today, especially in the South, called “Christianese.” Maybe you already speak it and just do not know it! Seminary students are infected with it like a virus. They argue the finer points of pre-millenialism and post-modernism...
by Mark Shaw | Jul 6, 2011 | Church Life
Cigarettes are said to stunt a child’s growth. One of the physiological reasons for that is that nicotine suppresses one’s appetite; therefore, a child who smokes will not be hungry, not eat as much as he should, and not receive important nourishment to grow. That is...
by Mark Shaw | Jun 24, 2011 | Church Life
NOTE: Jesus said in Matthew 16:18b: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” That is NOT the church I am critiquing in THIS post. Instead, I am critiquing American churchianity, the spectator sport of not participating...
by Mark Shaw | Jun 8, 2011 | Church Life, Truth in Love Staff
I know pastors who would NOT attend their churches if they were not the pastor! Isn’t that amazing? Some of these guys are only there either because they believe they are called there or they are simply in it for the money (which is really crazy since there...
by Mark Shaw | May 31, 2011 | Proverb of the Day
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, 5lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. 6Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those...
by Mark Shaw | May 29, 2011 | Proverb of the Day
We are so grateful for the opportunity to tell others about the vision of TIL on a national level through the new organization called the Biblical Counseling Coalition. Go to their website to learn more about how they are desiring to bring unity to biblical counseling...
by Mark Shaw | May 23, 2011 | Proverb of the Day
This passage of scripture deals with directing your heart and its desires away from drugs and alcohol (or whatever becomes idolatry in your heart) and towards righteous decisions of living for the glory of Christ. Proverbs 23:19-21 says Hear, my son, and be wise,...
by Mark Shaw | May 16, 2011 | Proverb of the Day
The biggest shift in Christian thinking is in the area of trusting God and doubting ourselves. Yes, I said DOUBTING ourselves! Before we were Christians, we trusted ourselves and doubted God but now we must reverse that ever so quickly. We must walk by faith not by...
by Mark Shaw | May 13, 2011 | Proverb of the Day
Proverbs 13:13 states: “Whoever despises the Word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.” – English Standard Version Here’s a great new song by Downhere about rediscovering God. The best...
by Mark Shaw | May 10, 2011 | Proverb of the Day
I remember my wife was teaching our family about Proverbs 10:4: “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” She was emphasizing to them that hard work of the diligent is what rewards a person and that people who are lazy will...
