Geoff W. Sutton Blog

Hope  “May integrity   and uprightness   protect me,  because my  hope ,   is in you. ”         Psalm 25: 21 NIV Social media sites are full of pictures of parents and grandparents beaming as they hold new babies. Thousands of years ago, the Psalmist declared his hope in God. It is fitting that Jesus comes as a baby. Hope is a forward looking activity. What better way to hope in the future than to see a newborn full of possibilities? Of course, at the time of his birth few foresaw what would unfold for Jesus in the next few decades. Yet some came with hope-- there were shepherds and wise men. Christmas is a time to reflect on hope. To nurture the possibilities within any child, parents must devote considerable time and energy and personal resources. Parents are often tired and seek assistance from family and friends. Nurturing hope is an investment in the future. And for Christians, hope lives on beyond the life...

12 Facts About Grateful People The American Holiday of Thanksgiving is a good time to focus on gratitude. Gratitude is a common human emotion and a virtue among adherents of many religions. Christians are encouraged to count their blessings and offer thanks each day. In psychology, gratitude is a positive emotion expressed toward those who have given some gift or benefit. In the case of religious people, the gift can come from God. It’s no surprise that there is a positive correlation between religiosity or spirituality and gratitude. The Grateful Living 12 --What’s true about grateful people— compared to those who are low on gratefulness? 1.  Higher positive feelings 2.  Higher life satisfaction 3.  More vitality 4.  More optimism 5.  More generous 6.  More helpful 7.  More likely to attend religious services 8.  More likely to practice their faith 9.  Less interested in material goods 10. Less ...

How God  Oral Roberts 1958, UPI   heals and helps “God spared my life for a reason,” Dave testified following a close brush with death by a tornado.* “My husband’s not expected to live; please pray,” pleaded Becky as she posted from her husband’s hospital room.*             Christians have long believed in the power of prayer. Perhaps it is better theology to say many Christians believe in the power of God to cause a change in people or in the natural world in response to prayer. Beliefs about prayer and how God works can make a difference; as I suggested in a previous post . All God beliefs In classical Pentecostal traditions, believers claimed divine healing as a right. Something guaranteed by God to those who believed. As a boy, I went to a tent meeting put on by Oral Roberts not far from my home in Southern New Jersey. I recall lines of people waiting for a miracle. Throughout history, som...

Religion & Health  Religion & Biopsychology Laura attends church but her sister Ashley does not. Who is likely to live longer? Jo announced her husband has been cancer free for two years! And she thanks God for healing in answer to prayer. Research suggests people who attend church live longer. And many offer testimonies of healing in response to prayer. Not surprisingly, the stories are enough to peak the interest of medical and psychological scientists. Is there more to faith than superstition? Are there measurable effects linked to religious or spiritual practices? I take a look at some of the evidence. And follow up on a previous post about prayer . We know there are some studies showing a relationship between biopsychology and spirituality. I like to use questions to carve out issues. 1. What biopsychological changes, if any, occur when people practice their faith? 2. What is the evidence for a link between spirituality and general health...

Relationship      Betrayal &  Barriers to  Forgiveness On 6 November, Sarah Pulliam Bailey of RNS posted a story about the resignation of Christian Leader, Doug Phillips following an extramarital relationship. From time to time we read about stories of prominent religious leaders and relationships that have gone awry. Using graphic language, biblical prophets refer to the Israelites acting like prostitutes in their betrayal of their relationship with God. In this post I consider several weapons that hurt relationships and six types of barriers to healthy relationships. BETRAYAL NINE Weapons of Relationship Destruction (WRD) I hope that as I list some WRD items -- barriers to forgiveness in relationships -- that you will recall other barriers from your own experience and share them as comments so we can all benefit.  Couples deal with a myriad of exchanges that they often overlook but some rise above others as ...