II Timothy 3:1-5 contains 19 characteristics of carnality. The common denominator is self-absorption and pride, placing the self above others.

It is impossible to cultivate self-control unless one uses God's Spirit to reprogram the desires of the heart from self-centeredness to submission to God.

The religious hobbyist Micah practiced his own self-devised hybrid of religion, amalgamating some orthodox truth with abundant noxious, pagan admixtures.

Are birthday celebrations as harmless as they seem? How did the practice start? Here is a spiritual principle concerning birthdays that many do not consider.

Why is human nature so corrupt? Why is it so widespread? How did it come to be? Did God create it this way?

We must not construe the term, "whatever our heart desires," as a pass to sin, but we should use every occasion to grow in thinking and acting like God.

The Baby Boomer generation has taken on characteristics of narcissism, self-absorption, and excessive self-centeredness, leading to rampant materialism.

Over the past six decades (from the Boomer Generation to the Millennial generation), individuals have grown more narcissistic, entitled and miserable.

If we were to consciously monitor our thoughts, we would be appalled about the percentage of our day that we are exclusively wrapped up in ourselves.

This earth is a prison, and Satan is its jailer. The inmates—mankind—do not realize that there is no free will! A prison takes away freedom.

God's children should never emulate the self-willed attitude Frank Sinatra's song "My Way" glorifies. Human nature and godly character are polar opposites.

Both Ruth and Naomi demonstrated covenant loyalty in this marriages long after the death of their spouses. Ruth faithfully continued to serve her mother-in-law.

Pride, the father of all sins, is the source of self-exaltation, self-justification and the despising of authority. It cloaks rebellion in a deceptive appeal.

Humility is not an obsequious act we turn on and off at will, but a sober reflection of our true relationship to God and our spiritual siblings.

If you knew you would live forever, how would you live? Biblically, eternal life is much more than living forever: It is living as God lives!

Just as a dead person does no works, so a faith that does not include works is also dead. A person in whom living, saving faith exists will produce works.

Those wise in their own eyes, including philosophers, politicians, educators, and religious leaders, have failed in their quest to make the world better.

We must have both perseverance and humility in prayer to keep our vision sharp and clear. Without humility, the doorway to acceptance by God is closed.

The Good Samaritan parable teaches that unless one practices doing good rather than just knowing good, his faith will be severely compromised.

According to the book, 13th Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?, those born between 1961-1981 belongs to the 13th Generation, the 13th since America's Founding Fathers.

We need to give thanks for everything, blessings and trials. Christianity ought to be an exhilarating experience, but it depends on our outlook on life.

Worship is required for all events in our lives, including the trials that build character within us. Anything that displaces God must be rooted out.

If we fear things other than God, we stunt our spiritual growth. We stop overcoming because any non-godly fear will involve self-centeredness, the opposite of God.

The paradox of Ecclesiastes 7 shows an unrighteous man flourishing and a righteous man suffering. The solution to this conundrum is found in Psalm 73.

Our concept of marriage must be positive and more mature, modeled after Christ's attentiveness toward the Church, as opposed to the world's distorted concept.

The Father and the Son are two distinct beings, not co-equal as the trinity doctrine proclaims, but with the Son deferring to the Father in all things.

The Day of Atonement, when God commands us to afflict our souls, is a day of self-evaluation and repentance to seek unity with Him and our brethren.

Because of lawlessness, love has gone stone-cold. Sin and lawlessness begets more sin and lawlessness, and natural affection and love disappear.

The fear and trembling before God is more like reverence and awe instead of abject terror. It leads us to total dependence upon God with a desire to repudiate sin.

As parents, we can protect our children from death and destruction if we discourage the self-absorptive pulls through correction and discipline.

In the Parable of the Great Supper, Jesus exposes and corrects the ignorance of those who, in their pride, misjudge their true moral condition.

'Affluenza' describes the bloated insensitivity caused by trying to keep up with the Joneses, the stress caused by doggedly pursuing the American Dream.

Covetousness—wanting something with a deep, greedy, envious burning—has reached epidemic proportions. Covetousness is also idolatry.