The Value of Exhortation

“You must warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” (Hebrews 3:13 NLT) As believers one of the easiest things for us to do is to get lazy. We want to sit around and consider how good heaven willContinue reading “The Value of Exhortation”

Stand Up to Your Bullies!

“In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants. But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea.” (1Continue reading “Stand Up to Your Bullies!”

Our New Ordinary

“The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13 NLT) If there’s anything special about me it’s that I’mContinue reading “Our New Ordinary”

Where’s Your Security?

“I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.” (2 Peter 3:17 NLT) Even in the early days of the Christian Faith there were those who twisted the truth of ScriptureContinue reading “Where’s Your Security?”

Why Is the Resurrection So Important?

“Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying.’” (John 11:25 NLT) The resurrection of Jesus is God’s stamp of approval, not only on Jesus’ life on earth, but on the sacrifice of His life to pay sin’s penalty. Every person who would oneContinue reading “Why Is the Resurrection So Important?”

The Pain of An Empty House

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and theyContinue reading “The Pain of An Empty House”

Courage to Fail?

“But no one had the courage to speak favorably about Him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.” (John 7:13 NLT) Of what do you think when you ponder the term “courage?” As I considered the idea of courage the first “picture” that came to mind was ofContinue reading “Courage to Fail?”

When Words Aren’t Enough

“Then David asked the Lord, ‘Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?’ And the Lord told him, ‘Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!’” (1 Samuel 30:8 NLT) 1 Samuel 30 records a story of the Amalekites raiding Ziklag, where David and hisContinue reading “When Words Aren’t Enough”

The Loss of Meaning

“’Everything is meaningless,’ says the Teacher, ‘completely meaningless!’” (Ecclesiastes 1:2 NLT) Solomon, purported to have been the wisest man who ever lived besides Jesus, was essentially a spoiled son of king David who delved into every conceivable avenue of life to find meaning, but found none. He concluded in Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Here now is myContinue reading “The Loss of Meaning”

When Pain Isn’t Good

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4 NLT) Pain comes in many “packages” and is useful for many reasons, not the least of which is to enable us to see Jesus more clearly.Continue reading “When Pain Isn’t Good”