From 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 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 ArticleA New Community People Part 2
Discover seven ways you can successfully practice God’s agape, or divine love with the people in your life. In this continuing message on “The New …
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 ArticleGoin’ Home!
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21At the age of 96, my Dad went home to be with the Lord. I have to tell you those last few days with him …
View ArticleGood Works!
“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” Matthew 5:16 ESVI had promised my wife that I would bring her a cup of coffee...
View ArticleHey, Where’d You Get That?
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” James 1:17One of my favorite classical works of music is The Creation. But what I like even more than the stirring sounds and...
View ArticleGraffiti on the Face of Jesus
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10The graffiti mafia struck again. I read about it in the morning paper...
View ArticleCan’t Wait
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3Hey, for you guys out there who have forgotten, it’s Valentine’s Day!...
View ArticleA New Community People Part 3
Unwrap what it means to show God’s love to others—even those who don’t seem to deserve it. As Joe Stowell points out in this week’s …
View ArticleFirst Church Of The Lampstand
Repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand. — Revelation 2:5I love it when churches have names like “King of Glory Lutheran Church” or “Alpha and Omega...
View ArticleCan You See Her?
“and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” Luke 7:38For most of us,...
View ArticleWhen Slaves Become Sons
“So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” Galatians 4:7For some lucky students it’s a day off of school, but it’s possible the fact that today...
View ArticleA Little Herod in All of Us
“When King Herod heard this he was disturbed.” Matthew 2:3When archaeologists excavated King Herod’s palace—an opulent structure boasting a pool large enough to float boats! It stood on a hill outside...
View ArticleThe Safety Zone
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” Proverbs 18:10The first church I pastored was in Springfield, Ohio. Our home was situated near Wright-Patterson Air Force...
View ArticleSomebody Cares
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” Hebrews 4:16When I was a little boy growing up in Hackensack, New...
View ArticleGod’s Heart Revealed
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. —Revelation 3:19It’s easy to think of God as a divine fly-swatter, just waiting for you to land so that—whap—He can nail you...
View ArticleRoyalty Recognized
At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, . . . [and] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. —Philippians 2:10-11As a kid, I loved watching the film Little Lord Fauntleroy. The story...
View Article