Leap of Faith
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” Hebrews 11:6What do you picture when you...
View ArticleWho’s Holding All the Cards?
“Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz.” Ruth 2:1To borrow a poker phrase, some people seem to hold all the cards. They are...
View ArticleNeighborly Love
You shall love the Lord your God . . . and your neighbor as yourself. —Luke 10:27It would have been simpler just to buy a new hair dryer. But determined to save a buck, I decided to fix it myself. In...
View ArticleThat’s Awesome!
Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. —Psalm 66:5The word awesome is tossed around a lot these days. Talk about cars, movies, songs, or food—and somebody...
View ArticleProtocol
Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. —James 1:6If you were invited to a meeting at the White House with the President of...
View ArticlePlaying with Fire
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32No doubt you’ve...
View ArticleThis Little Light of Mine
“You are the light of the world.… Let your light shine before men” Matthew 5:14-16 I have a lot of favorite stories, but this one has to rank near the top. My friend Paul Eshleman is the founder of the...
View ArticleLove on Display
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:31A few years ago my wife Martie and I had an opportunity to travel to Hong Kong for a ministry trip. One of the highlights of the trip was spending time with...
View ArticleDelight in the Details
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” Psalm 139:14Each year Time magazine publishes an issue focusing on that year’s “Best...
View ArticleLeaving a Legacy
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7Do you ever wonder what kind of legacy you’ll leave behind? I remember an older gentleman from one of the...
View ArticleWhat Are We Holding On To?
"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." —1 Timothy 6:12Tolkien’s classic The Lord of the Rings trilogy came to life in recent years on film. In the second epic story, the hero,...
View ArticleClearing Out The Clutter
My garage serves as “storage” for things that don’t have a place in our home, and, frankly, there are times when I am ashamed to open the door. I don’t want anyone to see the clutter. So, periodically,...
View ArticleThe Best Things in Life Really are Free
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31Recently I read the creation narratives in Genesis 1:1-31; 2:1-25. I’ve read them lots of times, but something special emerged this...
View ArticleStunned by Grace
“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” Exodus 34:6For all of us who think that God is...
View ArticleBad News . . . Good News
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." Matthew 5:11Today our dose of daily strength comes from Matthew 5:11, when Jesus...
View ArticleWho Will Help?
“How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you” Isaiah 30:19I don’t think I’ll ever forget the story my son told me about taking his family to see the stage...
View ArticleThe People Principle
“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is...
View ArticleCasting Shadows
No flesh should glory in His presence. —1 Corinthians 1:29Legend has it that Michelangelo painted with a brush in one hand and a candle in the other to prevent his shadow from covering his masterpiece...
View ArticleChoices
"Wherever you go, I will go; and . . . your people shall be my people, and your God, my God." Ruth 1:16A friend once told me: “Joe, I’ve come to realize that my life is not made by the dreams that I...
View ArticleJesus – Our Champion!
“ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ ” Matthew 16:15At some point in life we’ve all felt the frustration and fear of being up against situations that we can’t deal with and, worse...
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