Leaving a Legacy
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7Do you ever wonder what kind of legacy you’ll leave behind? I remember an older gentleman from one of the...
View ArticleWhat Are We Holding On To?
"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." —1 Timothy 6:12Tolkien’s classic The Lord of the Rings trilogy came to life in recent years on film. In the second epic story, the hero,...
View ArticleClearing Out The Clutter
My garage serves as “storage” for things that don’t have a place in our home, and, frankly, there are times when I am ashamed to open the door. I don’t want anyone to see the clutter. So, periodically,...
View ArticleThe Best Things in Life Really are Free
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31Recently I read the creation narratives in Genesis 1:1-31; 2:1-25. I’ve read them lots of times, but something special emerged this...
View ArticleStunned by Grace
“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” Exodus 34:6For all of us who think that God is...
View ArticleBad News . . . Good News
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." Matthew 5:11Today our dose of daily strength comes from Matthew 5:11, when Jesus...
View ArticleWho Will Help?
“How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you” Isaiah 30:19I don’t think I’ll ever forget the story my son told me about taking his family to see the stage...
View ArticleThe 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 masterpiece...
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 . . I’m sure it would only take a...
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 ArticleJoin the Revolution
“I am the way…” John 14:6In one of my all-time favorite Peanuts cartoons, Charlie Brown is standing on the deck of a cruise ship with a rather disheartened look on his face clutching his unfolded deck...
View ArticleA New Community People Part 1
Love was the focus of Christ’s last words to His disciples before going to the cross. Join Joe Stowell in turning to John 13 for a thought-provoking discussion about Jesus’ commandment to love others...
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 thought about how wonderful the...
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...
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