As we begin a new year, many of us look for a fresh start. We set new goals and intentions, hoping that this year will be different in some way. But the greatest new beginning doesn’t come from trying harder; it comes from believing the truth about what Jesus has...
Out of the mouths of babes come some of the hardest issues that ever confront theologians, to say nothing of Sunday school teachers or parents. For example, the question that my son, then five years of age, once put to me in rush-hour traffic: “Daddy,” he said, “how...
LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL Wanting to give her daughter a beautiful wedding in spite of a limited budget, the mother of the bride gathered blossoms from friends’ magnolia trees, and the night before the wedding, banked the front of the church with the luscious,...
At Christmastime, we often picture the star of Bethlehem shining brightly over a manger. But long before that night in Bethlehem, God gave a sign, a prophecy carved not just in Scripture, but even in stone that pointed to the coming of Christ. In Numbers 24:17,...
God makes no mistakes. God never guesses. He never over-thinks anything. He is never confused, never anxious, and never without a plan. The universe testifies to the order determined by the Creator. The sun comes up every day. The moon in its various versions appears...
LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL A certain woman wanting to join her church group going to Israel wondered if she should really spend the money. “God,” she prayed, “ give me a sign; show me what I should do.” Placing the glossy brochure on her table beside the bed, she...
LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL A verse that is often quoted when we are battling problems in life is Psalm 46 verse 10: “Be still and know that I am God.” But what is its meaning and how should we apply this verse during the difficult times in our lives? Well, first...
After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples—but Thomas was not with them. When the others told Thomas they’d seen the Lord, he famously replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand...
Hope is not blinded optimism. It doesn't ignore the storm or pretend the thunder doesn't shake your world. Genuine hope looks the storm square in the eye, feels the rain sting, and still whispers: "The sun will rise." Blind optimism denies reality; hope embraces it....
LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL The persistent refusal to do something about an issue that troubles you is what gives birth to chronic worry. Worry, however, is a choice, a bad decision which can be overcome. Interested in breaking the worry habit? Then follow these...