A Boost of Courage
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. —Hebrews 12:2When my son Joe was a child, I took him to the local YMCA for swimming lessons. I could almost see an Olympic gold medal swinging...
View ArticleGod’s Instrument
"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth." Psalm 100:1I’ll never forget my conversation with Erin, who is an accomplished violinist. As we were talking about violins, I asked her whether or not the...
View ArticleThou Shalt Not Be a Bystander
“He upholds the cause of the oppressed.” Psalm 146:7In 1955, an African-American Christian woman in her 40s refused to surrender her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. As a result,...
View ArticleDare to Call Him “Dad”
“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8:15Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis has...
View ArticleJesus, Our Champion Part 2
"'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?'" Matthew 16:15Jesus doesn’t settle for spiritual shortcuts—He has a total solution in mind for your problems. Yet when you come up with your own...
View ArticleOn Purpose
We . . . are being transformed into [Christ’s] image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. —2 Corinthians 3:18Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven Life has had an unbelievable run on the...
View ArticleTwo-Way Street
“You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14Ever had a one-way friendship? You know the drill—people who always need a favor but never give anything in return. Every time they come close,...
View ArticleThe Right Answer
"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him"— 1 John 5:1When Jesus asked a question, it was not because He...
View ArticleGetting Closer to God
“If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness.” Isaiah 58:10With e-mail and text messages, the joy of letter...
View ArticleShe Loves Me . . . She Loves Me Not
“...this is love for God: to keep his commands.” 1 John 5:3Have you ever tried to figure out whether or not someone you loved, loved you in return? Some people think you can solve the dilemma by...
View ArticleThe Jesus Way
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” Luke 6:27In the early hours of the morning, five drug dealers kidnapped Buster Soaries and drove him to a vacant lot. They...
View ArticleLiving With a Clear View
“Offer your bodies as living sacrifices . . . this is your spiritual act of worship” Romans 12:1If you know me, you know I love baseball, and I love to go to games at the ballpark whenever I get a...
View ArticleJesus, Our Champion Part 3
"'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?'" Matthew 16:15Jesus asks you to “Take up your cross and follow Me.” Discover how you can bear that cross with a sense of courage, confidence, and...
View ArticleCause for Rejoicing
“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord!” Philippians 3:1I’ll never forget the Sunday morning when I was hanging out in the hall with a bunch of my “cool” junior high friends before Sunday school....
View ArticleFinding Jesus in the Loop
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40My friend Craig Phillips was a 27-year-old rising star in Chicago’s corporate world. His natural drive...
View ArticleNo Greater Honor
"...he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ..."—Ephesians 1:5My dad was the most important person in my world when I was a boy. He was a respected pastor, a good preacher, and a...
View ArticleGet In The Game
"To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me." —Colossians 1:29I love going to professional sporting events. There’s nothing quite like cheering for your...
View ArticleGod With Us
“And we, who… all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness…” 2 Corinthians 3:18He was sitting three rows back in the aisle seat, slouched down in his chair, wearing a baseball...
View ArticleThe Hot Shot Café
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11The Hot Shot Café in Asheville, North Carolina, is where the locals used to hang out for good old home cooking. Several years...
View ArticleDon’t Trust Your Instincts
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." Psalm 32:8Flying into a storm is a dangerous experience. The temptation is to fly by your instincts, or, as...
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