How much is your relationship with God worth? What are you willing to exchange for the blessing God has for you? What issues and agendas are you willing to pursue in spite of the effect on your faith, your witness, and your life? We all have something, or some-things, that we get so attached to that we let them affect the meaningful parts of our […]
Some memories are dangerous. Some are dangerous to remember and others are dangerous to forget. Last night, I happened to meet a colleague while we were out with our daughter. In the midst of our conversation, he reminded me of a memory from my life that was dangerously close to being forgotten. He said, “I remember a few years ago, when you were sick over […]
There is just something wrong with finding the Halloween candy and the candy canes next to each other,” was the quote posted by a good friend of our family as she lamented the advance celebration of the holidays. Most of us have probably had similar feelings as we watched the Christmas decorations come out near the beginning of October, and most recently the Black Friday […]
Have you ever had a day that simply did not go in the direction you expected? We all have, and sometimes it can feel like the world is actually working against you. Typically, those feelings come from our disappointment and frustration, but occasionally, we really are on the receiving end of the world’s animosity, or experiencing the results of sin in the world. It is […]
Earlier today, I was pondering what attribute of God’s character had the greatest impact on my life. Now, I know that it is impossible to narrow it to one and that I am in need of all that God is in my life. I also realize that, like a favorite passage of scripture, choosing one favorite part of God’s character is likely to change depending […]
“Who am I?” It was a simple question asked by the Trappist monk Thomas Merton, to which he answered, “I am one loved by Christ.” All of us wrestle with our identity and would that it were only though our teenage years of self discovery. Many of us are haunted by the question of who we are and what our place is in the world. […]
When the stream is flowing, life is nourished by its refreshing waters. The stream itself is alive and there is something reassuring about lying down beside those still waters. The promise of the Shepherd is made complete there, and we are at peace. How quickly that security departs when the stream seems to dry up. Fear sprouts where faith once grew and doubt begins to […]
The Good News is meant to be “good news.” The Gospel is meant to inspire and encourage. Even when it challenges and rebukes, the purpose of the message is good. God gave us a precious gift when he entrusted the stewardship of this message to us because how we share His Word affects the way it is received and as with anything holy, it must […]
If you are struggling to find victory in your life, you may want to take a look at your relationships. You may be battling a persistent sin, or trying to make it through a challenging time. You may even feel like your relationship with God has reached a plateau and you desire a deeper more powerful walk of faith. If this is you, have you […]
The sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command. – 1 Chron. 12:32 The sons of Issachar understood the times. What a powerful declaration. Not only did they have a grasp on the season in which they lived, but they also knew what Israel […]