New Identity Magazine

Crucial Steps To Following Jesus

Christopher L. Scott — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 19:08:08 +0000

If a random person asked you, “Would you like to follow me?” What would be your response? Most of us would respond, “No.” Our culture has trained us to think people should follow us, not that we should follow others. Most of us are excited to lead others. Yet few of us get excited to follow someone else. But this shouldn’t surprise us. In the age of social media we don’t ask…

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Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

Christopher L. Scott — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 16:57:15 +0000

After getting married, life was great for Matthew and Ashley. They loved each other, and others well, and were active in their faith and community. But five months into their marriage things got difficult. There was no conflict between them, but troubles were happening to them. Matthew’s father had passed away unexpectedly. Grief led Matthew’s brother—who had been clean of addiction for…

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In Step With The Spirit

Christopher L. Scott — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 21:31:03 +0000

“ Grant me chastity . . . but not yet! ” A non-Christian man named Augustine uttered those words in the fourth century. He wrote in his book, Confessions, that God “set me face to face with myself, so that I might behold how foul I was, and how crooked.” Augustine was a wild man. He enjoyed many sins of life before dedicating his life to Christ. Augustine’s mother was a Christ…

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Music Christians Make

Christopher L. Scott — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 21:41:51 +0000

While living in California, my wife and I enjoyed attending the concert of my cousin Rachel who was a classical musical director at a church in Sacramento. On Christmas we sat in the audience of several hundred people and eagerly anticipated the evening. The musicians came out first and each sat in a designated seat with an instrument in hand and a musical score on a stand in front of them.

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Cultivating Good Character

Christopher L. Scott — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 17:36:14 +0000

Judah was outraged when he heard Tamar, the widow of his deceased son, had become pregnant because of prostitution. He demanded, “Bring her out, and let her be burned!” (Gen. 38:24, NLT). What a shame to their family name! What an embarrassment for her! But this story exposes Judah’s poor character, not Tamar’s. Judah’s firstborn son was Er who married Tamar, but Er died. So Judah had his…

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God, What Do You Want Me To Do With My Life?

Christopher L. Scott — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 21:42:24 +0000

That must have been choreographed,” someone said after my wife and I danced the first dance at our wedding. But our first dance at our wedding was not choreographed. I led, and she followed, which is the key to a good dance. When dancing, the lead provides the “picture frame.” The dance happens inside the picture frame. The lead plans ahead; is the organizer of the dance…

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How Anyone Can Study The Bible

Christopher L. Scott — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 23:19:18 +0000

“A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t,” said the Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon. Navigating the Christian life requires you clasp your Bible and use it for guidance in relationships, work, and spiritual life. When you study God’s word, you obey God. He told his people, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to…

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What Is a Study Bible and Why Should You Have One?

Christopher L. Scott — Tue, 12 May 2020 18:10:48 +0000

What does the apostle Paul mean when he says ‘live a quiet life’ in this verse?” The question was posed by a person participating in a Bible study I was visiting as part of our church. The facilitator—a veteran of facilitating small group discussions—flipped his study Bible open to that verse, dropped down to the footnotes, then read the explanation of the verse in the footnotes.

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