We must always be making choices in this world. We cannot take up everything that lies in our path, and we ought to choose the best things. Even among right things there is room for choice, for some right things are better than others. There are many Christians, however, who do not habitually choose the … Continue reading Don’t Choose Second-Rate Good Things
It is that time again. Thanksgiving has come and gone, and many have already frantically begun to prepare for Christmas. The sales are plentiful, the shoppers are swarming, and the decorations and music add warmth everywhere you visit. However, even with all of these things, we can still miss Christmas. To help prepare our hearts, please take … Continue reading Preparing Our Hearts for Christmas
Many people live with leanness of soul. It is a spiritual condition related to gratitude, and we get a glimpse of it in Psalm 106. The psalm begins by calling the people of God to praise and thanksgiving. The following 12 verses continue by reminding them of God’s great and merciful works. How He showed His power and set … Continue reading Thanksgiving, Gratitude, and Leanness of Soul
There are moments in scripture that are easy to miss, but they are deeply profound if we take time to consider them. One of those moments happens on the road to Emmaus. Jesus speaks two words in light of the context that reveals a world of encouragement. It is resurrection Sunday. A handful of people … Continue reading A Profound Moment on the Road to Emmaus
There is a commonplace religion that invites its followers to do the exact opposite of what Jesus taught. It is a religion of self-help, and it likes to go to church. We see it in many of the popular manifestations of cultural “Christianity.” It has a thin veneer of truth but lacks the substance. It gives lip service … Continue reading Self-Help Goes to Church
It seems the chief end of some local churches is to exist. Maintaining the building, meeting budgets, and preserving attendance by making sure the congregants have a pleasant experience so they will not leave is what drives the decisions of many church leaders. There is nothing wrong with working toward these goals. They are fine as long as those … Continue reading Great Churches are Willing to Go Out of Business
G. Campbell Morgan tells of a friend of his who had a little daughter that he dearly loved. They were great friends, the father and daughter, and were always together. But there seemed to come an estrangement on the child's part. The father could not get her company as formerly. She seemed to shun him. … Continue reading God Wants You, Not Your Work
If you are a believer, at this very moment, you are united to Christ. Did you remember that this morning when you rose and began your daily routine? How will this knowledge affect you as you go about the remainder of your day? If we truly understand what it means to be united to Jesus, it should impact … Continue reading Do Not Forget You Are United to Christ
The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Cor. 3:6) The law of God is holy and just and good; it is inexorable, and we have fallen under its just condemnation. That is at the bottom of what Paul means by the “the letter kills.’ He does not mean that attention to pedantic details shrivels … Continue reading The Letter Kills, but the Spirit Gives Life
Had he seen what he thought he saw? The cold breeze rustling the fallen leaves only added to the chill in his soul. Had it not been for the few remaining minutes of nightfall, the long shadows of the trees would have been indecipherable from the darkness on the ground. As he looked back to … Continue reading Something in the Darkness
The Fight of Faith 