The Dilemma

No person fails on purpose. Yet, spiritual, and moral failures abound. A few years ago, I taught a lesson to my church’s men’s group which focused on temptations men face. The workbook we were using quoted C.S. Lewis on this subject and was a turning point for many in the group. Lewis wrote,

From my new book, Lord of All. Click here to buy the book and Bible study so you can use it devotionally or work through it with a small group of Christian brothers and sisters… or to even give away to someone who desires to learn more about Jesus. Also, please make sure to check out my new blog, A Far Green Country, in which I’m writing much more frequently.

He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. (1 Timothy 3:7)

You have probably heard the definition of character as, “who you are when no one is looking.” You could also say that character is who you are when those who know you best are looking.

A Definition

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines counterculture as…

a culture with values and mores that run counter to those of established society

I was taught that you shouldn’t define a word by using the word you’re attempting to define in the definition… but what do I know? Yet there you have it: A counterculture is a culture with values and mores, (customs) that run counter to those of established society.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Restless Hearts

Great saints of God have beautifully, if feebly, attempted to capture the height and depth and weight of such a majestic verse as this. In his Confessions, Augustine wrote, “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” Pascal’s oft-quoted idea that people have a God-shaped vacuum in their hearts only God can fill strikes a similar note.

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire? (Corrie Ten Boom)

I am experimenting with a new personal blog. It's called, A Far Green Country, and you can check it out by clicking here. I'm going to work on posting more often here at Ailbe, so much of what I write for my new blog will end up here. But there may be some things you will want to check out there. My ministry resources can still be found at DaleTedder.com. My new blog is an effort at developing a more consistent and faithful writing discipline. I'm grateful to our brother, TM Moore, for allowing us to stretch our wings and leave our comfort zones with our writing.

For those of you who may be Lord of the Ring nerds, like me, I hope you enjoy this offering.

I thought I would share the chapters of my new book, Lord of All, with you here at the Ailbe website. Each chapter (or, lesson) also has in-depth Bible study questions at the end. You can buy the book/study guide via the Ailbe Book Store, under my name. I hope you'll check it out. Here's the Introduction.

Blessings,
Dale

God never ceases to speak to us, but the noise of the world without and the tumult of our passions within bewilder us and prevent us from listening to him. (Francois Fenelon)

God is perfect love and perfect wisdom. We do not pray in order to change his will, but to bring our wills into harmony with his. (Sir William Temple)

Two Questions

Jesus had just fed five thousand people. Before that he had been teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God. On top of that he had been healing them of their illnesses. As you can imagine, the people followed Jesus everywhere he went. And why wouldn’t they? He was a blessing to them. (Luke 9:10-17)

Dr. Craddock

One of the highlights of attending seminary in Atlanta was sitting under the teaching of Dr. Fred Craddock. Dr. Craddock was a gifted and world-renowned preacher and preaching instructor. It was a privilege and blessing to take a preaching class taught by him.