Sometimes we base our understanding of God on our preconceived ideas and our past experiences. Baptists grow up with a Baptist understanding of the scriptures, and the same can be said of Methodists, Lutherans, Charismatics…this list goes on and on. Depending on our church’s denomination or theological perspective, we are convinced that our brand of [...]
There is an obscure story in the Bible about a group of people who lived in the town of Laish. They seemed to be at peace and secure. But they were suddenly attacked and their city was burned to the ground. They had no one to rescue them, because they had no close relationships with anyone [...]
Someone once said, “Doing the most important thing is always the most important thing.” I have found that those who are successful in life work from a clear sense of priority. Paul the apostle said it like this, “This one thing I do…” (Phil. 3:13). To achieve extraordinary results, we must choose what matters most [...]
Nearly every revival had a connection to a younger generation, starting in Acts 2 with the young disciples of Jesus. And from young Evan Roberts and the Welsh Revival in Wales in the early 20th century, to the Jesus Movement in America in the 1970’s, a young generation was at the forefront. In the last [...]
We all go through three seasons in life—the honeymoon season, the problem season, and the perseverance-to-victory season. The honeymoon season is the initial start when all is new and exciting. Then we are faced with the reality of struggle. You could call this the problem season; a period of confusion and conflict. The future feels [...]
The Bible teaches that we are saved when we believe the truth from the Word of God in our hearts and confess it with our mouths. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” [...]
I can still remember hearing the muffled voices of a group of girls having a party upstairs. Among the muted sounds of the girls laughing and talking, I kept hearing a reoccurring, distinct voice that captured my attention. “Do you know whose voice that is?” I inquired of a friend. He knew the girl’s voice [...]
Happy Thanksgiving! Here are four practical things I have learned about giving thanks. (1) Being thankful is a decision: We do not give thanks because we feel like it; we choose to give thanks because it is the correct thing to do. The Bible tells us to be thankful (Colossians 3:15) (2) We give thanks [...]
Jesus commands us, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:37-39) But I have found it is often easier to love the Lord than to love our neighbor, even our Christian neighbor. I want to plead with [...]
The American election is over. Now is the time for each of us to obey the admonition we read in I Tim. 2:2-4: “Pray…for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants [...]