When Richard Smith spoke at a workshop on a Christian approach to counseling, he talked about the fact that we were created in the image of God yet the human heart is depraved and evil. A pastor objected, feeling that he had gone too far. As Richard explained what the...
What is God looking for in us? He’s looking for faith. We often think of faith as just a noun, but it’s also a verb—when you act on your faith. One of the great miracles in the New Testament happened when some people lowered their friend who was paralyzed down through...
The Naval Institute's magazine carried the story of a battleship captain who was concerned about rough seas and fog when, quite suddenly, a bright light appeared on the horizon. The captain immediately had the signalman send the message, "Change course immediately!" ...
It was a shocking story that gripped the nation. In 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her bed in the middle of the night in Salt Lake City, Utah. Nine months later she was recognized while walking down a street with her abductor. Smart was initially...
Nehemiah, the cupbearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes, describes something which is unique in all history. Speaking of Israel in the wilderness, he says of God, "Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did...
My life was in a financial mess despite having enough knowledge about finances. Eventually, I realized that money is more about behavior and less about skills. When I gave my life to Jesus and began to read the Bible, many things changed for the better for me,...
Psalm 107 was written to be read by those who choose to believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The psalm is a testament of God's unfailing love to those who believe in His name. Going through the sections of this chapter gives us an insight into the depth...
A dying man never says, "I wish I had spent more time at the office!" A man's last words always come from his heart! They are sometimes harsh, sometimes sentimental, and sometimes provocative. But you never forget them. What Jesus shared with the twelve as they sat...
Do you plan your days, entering appointments and goals on your phone or paper calendar? If you’re not a planner, you probably feel that you should be. Plans equal preparedness, right? Well, not always. Something like a pandemic, for example, makes us question whether...
Some time ago, I picked up a John Maxwell book. The first chapter was on “character.” Let me share with you some of what he teaches. John says we all want “character,” and yet it’s not always clear what that means. We may boast of the essential qualities that make...