A 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 ArticleNew City People Part 3
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea." Revelation 21:1Discover the five habits of people who are...
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 ArticleMy Only Hope
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions” Psalm 51:1Any Star Wars fans out there? Remember the opening scenes of the...
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’...
View ArticleGetting Over Me Part 1
"Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you." Philippians 3:1Do you live to celebrate yourself—or Jesus? Joe...
View ArticleVisible Reminders
"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." Colossians 3:2What’s the first image you see when you turn on your computer? Maybe it’s a family portrait or a special vacation picture. Or...
View ArticleIt’s All Good
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28Auguste Bartholdi traveled from France to Egypt in 1856. His...
View ArticleLove and Life on the Big Screen
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8One problem with Bible-polished rule keepers is that from a distance we all tend to look...
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