The Significance of Suffering
“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:3Let’s be honest, most of us would have to admit that we have a natural aversion...
View ArticleCheerleading for Jesus
“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill.… Whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” Philippians 1:15,18 It...
View ArticleGrisham’s Testament
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” 1 Timothy 6:10Any John Grisham fans out there?...
View ArticleAbandoned
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was...
View ArticleTrash Talk
“The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil . . . . It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” James 3:6One morning when I was pulling...
View ArticleA Worthy Offering
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. —Genesis 4:7I was delighted when a mutual friend gave my neighbor a Bible. But my neighbor told me she stopped...
View ArticleStop Talking, Start Listening Part 2
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27Discover the five habits of effective listeners to the voice of God. Last week, Joe Stowell explained the importance of hearing...
View ArticleHigh-Tech Communication
Now we have received . . . the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. —1 Corinthians 2:12When it comes to communication, our world is becoming...
View ArticleFriends in High Places
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John...
View ArticleBull’s-eye
“…Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” Colossians 2:3Here’s some bad news: left to ourselves, we’re not very good shots when it comes to living. We are, at the core,...
View ArticleThe Good Old Days
“You have forsaken your first love.” Revelation 2:4I must confess: I’m a romantic at heart, which means I love to hear stories of how people met and fell in love. What’s more, I love to hear stories of...
View ArticleAsh-heap Christians
“The fire will test the quality of each man’s work” 1 Corinthians 3:13A few years ago, a series of fires raged through parts of southern California, fanned by the notorious Santa Ana winds. Laguna...
View ArticleDon’t Forget
“Be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 6:12We all have little slips in our memory once in a while, right? I love the story about the guy who decided to...
View ArticleNew Creation People Part 1
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17“Who am I?” We’ve all asked ourselves this question at some point in our lives. As we...
View ArticleOut Of Proportion
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Psalm 111:10I’ll never forget the time I had my picture taken with Shaquille O’Neal, one of the giants of professional basketball. I never thought of...
View ArticleThud!
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8Interesting, isn’t it, how some childhood experiences are permanently...
View ArticleWake Him Up!
“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 4:16Elouise worked the cash register in the food court at...
View ArticleAn Eclipse of Heaven
“The city [heaven] does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” Revelation 21:23Solar eclipses are an amazing phenomenon. As the...
View ArticleDisappointing Sideshows
"For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world." 1 John 2:16When I was a boy, one of...
View ArticleGetting Along
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3I’m guessing that even astronomical gas prices won’t stop many parents from packing up the car and taking the...
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