Years ago, two teenage daughters of one of our neighbors became lost at sea and nearly lost their lives. The family was enjoying a beach vacation when these two teen sisters decided to do a little relaxing on a raft in the Gulf of Mexico. With the warmth of the sun and the gentle rocking…
What do you believe about Jesus? He once asked His disciples, “who do you say I am?” Who is Jesus to you? Jesus’ birth more than 2,000 years ago fundamentally changed the world. The majority of people believe that Jesus was a real person. Many also consider Him a highly influential historical figure. Some believe…
Have you ever run away? Has someone close to you run away from you? I think almost everyone has had a moment or several moments when they’ve wanted to run from the situation in which they find themselves. Some follow through . . . some don’t. In the last of Paul’s letters collected in Scripture,…
I was on a Christian Site recently and noticed that after a beautiful and encouraging devotion about the importance of finding ways to strengthen and build relationships with one another . . . several of the commenters had turned their interactions with others into ugly debates about a current political issue. I can’t help but…
Does knowing Jesus change the way you think and act? The Bible is pretty clear, you and I have been called to “walk the talk.” Have you ever heard of the circle of faith? We’ve been called to trust and obey . . . to believe God is who He says He is, to believe…
There have been many versions of the following quote over the years: “The greatest Liar has his Believers, and it often happens, that if a Lie be believed only for an hour, it has done its Work, and there is no farther occasion for it. Falsehood flies and the Truth comes limping after it.” ~Jonathan Swift,…
One of the things I love about the Bible is that although the words were written 2000 or more years ago, almost every time I read it there are words that practically jump off the page as if they were written for me today. Although Paul’s words to Timothy were written to address first-century problems,…
Do you ever wonder if we are living in the “last days”? Here’s what Paul said about the things we would see… In the last days, there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful….
I’m not strong. Not even a little. I am foolish and weak . . . prone to worry and anxiety. And I would be an absolute mess were it not for Jesus! A number of years ago, I highlighted and starred the following words in the notes of my Bible: Just as we are saved…
Many of us don’t understand what’s going on . . . we feel fragile and we know we need strength to face each day with hope and courage. Let’s pray! #BibleVerses #VersestoPray #Strength #Blessings
“Money is the root of all evil.” Right? That expression has become so common you can find it in the Dictionary under Idioms. Here’s what it says: “Money, or, more specifically, the desire to obtain and amass it, is the ultimate reason humans do evil things to one another.” It’s not money itself that is the source or root of evil. That idiom leaves out one very important word from Paul’s letter to Timothy… For the…
It seems like we’ve been in a season of “rules for thee but not for me.” And honestly, many are frustrated. We all want and expect an element of fairness in life . . . especially from those who hold positions of leadership. Paul gave Timothy some advice about how he should treat the people…
Do you ever wonder how much time we spend thinking and talking about pointless and unimportant things that may or may not happen? Paul wrote the following to Timothy: Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. 1 Timothy 4:7a Some of the other translations put it this way, Don’t have…
So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must…
Pray for all people! 1 Timothy 2:1b Yes, that includes our enemies, the people we find detestable, those we don’t understand, who are unkind, and even the ones who hate us. That’s hard, isn’t it? It’s easy to pray for the people we love and care about but those other people . . . not…
Paul was “the worst sinner of them all!” Okay, that’s definitely not the way I would describe him. I’m guessing it’s not how you would describe him either. He wrote a huge portion of the New Testament and I believe a case could be made that no one other than the Lord, Himself, has had…
As I sit down to write this, I’ll admit that I’m having a bit of trouble concentrating. If I just look around at my little corner of the world . . . everything looks fine. My greatest inconveniences this morning were that the grocery store was out of a few of the things I needed,…
When I was growing up almost everyone on our street attended church. Being a Christian was just part of the norm. Culture encouraged church membership and it seemed for many – their social lives revolved around time spent with friends from church. Christian values and morals were rarely questioned and believe it or not, the…
The following facts are from an article in the January edition of Christianity Today: Every day, 13 Christians worldwide are killed because of their faith. Every day, 12 churches or Christian buildings are attacked. Every day, 12 Christians are unjustly arrested or imprisoned, and another 5 are abducted. And as I write this, the news…
“The end of the world is coming!” Throughout history, there have been many times various “experts” have predicted the date and time of some apocalyptic event that would cause the end of the world. There have even been times when people have rallied around these predictions and gathered together to await the appointed moment. However……
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there were only a few people who even noticed. And those who did came from humble unnoteworthy backgrounds. A simple teenage girl. An ordinary carpenter. A handful of shepherds. Relatively speaking, practically no one noticed that the Savior of the World had been born. But that won’t be the…
