The Plumbline

Did you know what a troponym is?  I didn't either, but learned it this morning!  I knew about synonyms, antonyms, and other "parts" of speech, but troponyms escaped me!  It is a word which denotes the manner we do something.  For example, shuffling is a manner of walking (a troponym which describes the manner in which walking is performed).  So, I had to look up the "troponym" for "ridicule" this morning, as this word came to me at about two this morning and just kept running through my mind.  Here's a little of what I discovered are the various "ways" we ridicule (poke fun at) another: - We tease.  This is a type of mocking or playful "making fun of" kind of action. - We lampoon.  This is a type of "satire" such as when we ridicule with sarcasm, often pointing out their vices with a little bit of humor. - We expose.  This seemed like an odd way to describe ridicule, but it really does because we often "uncove...

Sometimes I get asked how we really know if someone is a believer - one who has more than just a "title" of Christian, but actually lives as a Christian.  Whenever I hear this question, I really believe the person is probably asking because they have been "burned" in some relationship by someone professing to be a Christian, but really not living by the testimony they proclaim.  We often see people leave the church, family, or other type of relationship simply because someone "burned" them at or over some point.  It is a sad thing, but it is true.  What I have come to realize is quite simply put:  Faith comes in all kinds of packages - some are quite genuine, others are mere displays.  Today's passage gives us a kind of "barometer" for evaluating if our faith (or the faith of another) is real (genuine). This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Als...