The 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 …
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...
View ArticleWhere Have All the Heroes Gone?
“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15What’s with celebrities? The last few years have been littered with famous people behaving badly . . . In the 2007 World Cup games, the...
View ArticleWhat Are You Aiming For?
“Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” 1 John 3:3Let’s talk about heaven. If you’re like me, it’s hard to get your head around it and harder still to let it grip your...
View ArticleIt’s Not Good to Be Alone
“The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone’ ” Genesis 2:18While reading through the creation narratives in Genesis for the umpteenth time, I was struck by God’s commentary on Adam...
View ArticleBack Seat Serenade
“For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” Matthew 12:34I’ll never forget a double date that Martie and I had with another couple in college. I was driving, which meant that my then...
View ArticleAt Just The Right Time
When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son. —Galatians 4:4Why is being on time so challenging for some of us? Even when we start early, something inevitably gets in our way to make...
View ArticleMaking The Cut
[Jesus] said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” —Matthew 4:19Every year, high-school seniors apply to their favorite universities and then watch the mailbox for the letter...
View ArticleGarden Talk
“Not what I will, but what you will” Mark 14:36Okay, I have to confess . . . I like gardening. There, I said it. Sorry guys, but I do! So, liking gardens, I have often …
View ArticleLet Me Show You to Your Room
“In my Father’s house are many rooms . . . . I am going there to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2Every once in a while when I travel to speak at a conference, the organization puts me up in a...
View ArticleThe More Things Change . . .
“The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; His eyes examine them” Psalm 11:4I’ll admit it—I’m a raving fan of change. I’m delighted that I can...
View ArticleFrom Fear to Faith
"The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. Psalm 11:4I have a friend who says, “Through the years I have seen a lot of...
View ArticleJoy of Loving Jesus
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11Ever been in love? If so, you know what it means to be preoccupied. I met my wife Martie in the fall of...
View ArticleThe New Covenant Part 3
"I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, ' declares the LORD." Jeremiah 31:32Discover what...
View ArticleHats Off to Birthdays
“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12Hey, today’s my birthday! Don’t ask . . . I’m trying not to think about how many candles I’ll have on the cake. But...
View ArticleGetting “In The Way”
Jesus said . . . , “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” —John 14:6The ancient Romans were known for their roads, which crisscrossed their empire with...
View ArticleTattletale
"You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Matthew 12:34We all remember the neighborhood tattletale—not the most popular...
View ArticleNew Covenant People Part 1
"In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'" Luke 22:20Welcome to a whole new way of living as a follower of...
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