Expectations
"My earnest expectation and hope [is] that . . . Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death." Philippians 1:20 Expectations! We all have them. We expect that people will be nice...
View ArticleLoad Limits
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so...
View ArticleThe Perfecting Storm
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4In Cornwall, England, you can visit a place called The Eden Project. The Eden Project...
View ArticleIn the Garden
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31My wife, Martie, and I had the privilege of traveling to England. While we were there, we visited...
View ArticleNo Fear Factor
"God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7 ESVThe reality TV show Fear Factor featured people who are willing to face their worst fears for notoriety and...
View ArticleNew Creation People Part 1
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17“Who am I?” We’ve all asked ourselves this question at some point in our lives. As we...
View ArticleNew Creation People Part 2
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17We live in a phenomenally broken world. And a natural response is for our hearts to cry...
View ArticleNew Creation People Part 3
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17Discover what it means to daily live out your identity as a “New Creation Person” as Joe...
View ArticleThe Life God Loves to Partner With Part 1
"May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls." Ruth...
View ArticleThe Life God Loves To Partner With Part 2
Are you going to compete with God’s plan, or converge with it? We all reach points in our life when we have to choose whether we’ll follow God’s plan, or our own. In today’s teaching on the book of...
View ArticleThe Life God Loves To Partner With Part 3
Discover five habits of a heart that converges with God’s eternal plan. In his ongoing series on Ruth: Love Unshaken, Joe Stowell turns to Ruth 2 and continues looking at the lives of Ruth and Boaz,...
View ArticleLoving a Great God
Although we’ve all encountered people with hardened hearts, sometimes the most difficult thing to accept is the hardness in our own hearts, as Dr. Stowell reveals in this powerful message on Luke 7....
View ArticleInterruptions Part 1
"'She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'" Matthew 1:21We often think about Christ’s arrival on earth in joyful terms....
View ArticleInterruptions Part 2
"'She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'" Matthew 1:21As we approach a new year, we can count on experiencing...
View ArticleLiving in the Perfect Tense
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17One of my all-time favorite jokes is about the guy who was applying for a...
View ArticleHeaven – This Way
“You know the way to the place where I am going” John 14:4The classic World War II movie The Longest Day portrays one of the clever military strategies of the German army. After the Allies had taken...
View ArticleNever Disappointed
There has not failed one word of all His good promise. —1 Kings 8:56As an avid baseball fan, I love watching the Chicago Cubs. For decades leading up to their amazing World Series victory in 2016, the...
View ArticleIs That Jesus?
Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. —Romans 8:29As I walked into church one Sunday morning, a little boy...
View ArticleInstrument-rated Living
“Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him...” Proverbs 3:5-6You’ve probably heard the expression “flying by the seat of your pants.” It smacks of living in a random,...
View ArticleTruth or Consequences
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body” Ephesians 4:25In my first church ministry, I pastored a small, newly planted...
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