In over 50 years as a pastor, I’ve witnessed many dumb decisions. After listening to people say, “I just paid $50,000 for a race car without telling my wife,” or “I told my daughter never to come back home,” or “I left because I don’t love my husband,” I’ve often asked my wife … Why […]
Wisdom vs. Dumb Decisions Read More »
Remind them of these things and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers (2 Timothy 2:14, NASB1995). I’ve highlighted “wrangle about words.” This phrase comes from one word in the Greek: “logomacheo.” Be patient as I will draw a conclusion soon, but “logomacheo” is a compound word
Wrangling About Words ~ 2 Timothy 2:14-16 Read More »
The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord‘s throne is in heaven (Psalm 11:4a, ESV). C.S. Lewis writes, “If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought the most of the next.” But some say, “Don’t be too heavenly minded or you will be
Count it all joy… when we encounter various trials (James 1:2, NASB). A section of the brain called the “amygdala” controls our “fight or flight” responses. A valuable part of the brain, especially for our ancestors who ran from bears daily, but problematic today when someone in front of us drives 15 MPH in a
Staying Calm After Ingesting Cat Food! Read More »
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV). The most important discipline that we can develop for emotional health and answered prayer
Thanksgiving That Guards the Heart Read More »
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8, ESV). It’s not a matter of if but when the roaring lion attacks your household. Fearing home invasions, many today resort to Glocks™ and Ring™ security systems. From my security system, I can check cameras around the house
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood (Acts 20:28, ESV). The Barna Organization conducts statistical studies of the church. I’ve subscribed to their services for years for two reasons — first, I enjoy being a geek with
Church Attendance Going Up! Read More »
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, ESV). Have you ever
Why Does God Allow Affliction? Read More »
When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language (Psalm 114:1, ESV). Psalm 114 was written just after the Israelites, on their second attempt, entered the Promised Land. The phrase “out from Egypt” has a rich meaning because many times during their wilderness travels, the Israelites wanted to go back
Psalms on Saturday ~ Psalm 114: Going Back to Egypt Read More »
For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7, ESV). We say the Christian faith. It’s not the Christian sight. What’s the difference? It means that we don’t have to depend on what we can see but on what we can’t see — God — for our salvation, for growing in Christ, and for
Have a Little Faith Read More »