I’ve been wondering about the difference between faith and faithfulness. Faith is believing in someone or something. Faithfulness is consistently acting on that faith. We can have faith that we have the best job in the world but if we don’t faithfully fulfill the tasks of that job we probably won’t have it very long….
If you’re a regular visitor here, you know that I’ve made the following one of my life verses: Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need. Luke 12:31 I talk a lot about my desire to put God first in my life to SEEK Him first – but what does it…
What is genuine faith? Jesus’ half-brother, James, didn’t have any trouble sharing his thoughts on the subject. The Bible is clear about the fact that everyone is saved by God’s grace… God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not…
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…
I knew I was holding back a little bit of my heart. I’d read verses of suffering servants in the New Testament. I’d taken Jesus words to heart: Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. John 16:33 Somehow I bought into the enemy’s lies that if I was a cautious Christian ….
I talk to more and more people all the time who say they just can’t watch the news anymore. They simply find themselves too discouraged by the steady message of things that are wrong . . . with crime, protests, riots, and illness. It often feels like the goal is to keep us fearful and…
A number of years ago, we ordered a large rather expensive mirror. It was delivered a few days later and left at our front door. The first thing we noticed was that it was covered with stickers warning: Fragile! Handle with Care! So, Rev and I joined together to carefully pick up the box. Unfortunately,…
The cultural message for the past 50 years has been “my body, my choice.” But is that true based on God’s Word? In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul wrote: Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not…
Do you ever feel discouraged . . . like evil is winning? The news and social media seem to promote a secular religion and a culture that opposes Biblical truths. Is it any wonder that many of us are starting to feel more and more isolated and alone as efforts are made to silence Christians…
Have you ever wanted to be famous? Do you long to be “known” and popular? Have you ever been tempted to do a little “name dropping” so you could tag along on the celebrity recognition ride? Luke wrote the following near the beginning of his Gospel: Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also…
Are you ever surprised how often “I can’t” is your first thought about something? I know that too often my first thought is “I can’t do this,” whenever I’m facing a challenge. Oh, I want to consistently enjoy God’s strength and peace but I’m ashamed to say that I can let doubt dictate my thinking….
Yesterday we looked at what Jesus said about being prepared for His return. Today, in Matthew 25, Jesus went on to tell His followers about the importance of having faith and the importance of showing others their faith by demonstrating His love. The first parable today, tells the story of 10 bridesmaids who were waiting…
