God 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 hang out. Old jukebox and all—no pretense—just good old...
View ArticleInstincts
"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...
View ArticleOperation Rescue
“The Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials.” 2 Peter 2:9I recall counseling a woman who had just come to know Christ. She was interested in becoming God’s kind of woman, so we were studying …
View ArticleOvercommitters Anonymous
“Teach us to number our days . . . that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12I am hopelessly prone to overcommitting myself. Is anyone else out there a little too quick to say “Yes” to every...
View ArticleA Collector’s Heaven
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." Matthew 6:19-20People love to collect things—from baseball cards to stamps to coins. And while...
View ArticleA Parade Worth Marching In
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 For Americans, the Fourth of...
View ArticleNever Surrender!
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10The setting was England’s House of Commons in early June of 1940. Another World War had broken out and the prospects for Britain...
View ArticleYou Are What You Think
"Or he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost. "Eat and drink," he says to you, but his heart is not with you." Proverbs 23:7I don’t know about you, but some nights I can’t shut down...
View ArticleGetting Even or Getting Better?
“It is mine to avenge; I will repay . . . . If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans...
View ArticlePleasing Him
“So we make it our goal to please him.” 2 Corinthians 5:9It may not always seem like it, but children really do want to please their parents. Just picture the little boy who beams with pleasure when …
View ArticlePainting Pictures of Peace
“First, go and be reconciled to your brother.” Matthew 5:24The Last Supper, painted by Leonardo da Vinci, is one of the great Renaissance masterpieces. It took da Vinci 3 years to complete, and during …
View ArticleBull’s-Eye!
"Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth." Psalm 86:11If we’re not careful, we may become like the man who prided himself on being an expert archer. The secret to his success was that …
View ArticleSolid Rock and Sinking Sand
“Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24Over the past several years we’ve seen hurricanes wreak...
View ArticlePay Attention!
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:16I would love to have a dollar for every time I heard my Mom...
View ArticleWreck-less Drivers
“I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7I’m not sure who came up with the idea of driving around in circles on a small track in a tiny machine; nevertheless, riding go-karts …
View ArticleAgents of God’s Glory
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1...
View ArticleGetting Away From It All
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3A pastor friend of mine was telling another pastor about the long-awaited vacation that he...
View ArticleSaying “I Do”
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25No doubt about it, wedding season is in full swing. It’s the time when the words “I do” are heard...
View ArticleSummertime
“God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:3The old Porgy and Bess tune that declares, “Summertime, and the livin’...
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