On a hike with his grandson, Jim’s friend Rob Fischer realized an important lesson: We can become so weighed down by all our stuff, and stressed-out our over-booked schedules that we become distracted and unfruitful. Read his insightful story.
Our societal norms have been adjusted to accept all kinds of behavior. Our moral compass is off. Still, as long as we’re in this world, we want to represent Christ well to others in hopes that they will come to the knowledge of the truth and receive Christ as their Savior. But we also know that those who thumb their nose at God or ignore Him will discover that God will have the last word. He will be vindicated.
Today, our culture says truth is merely what you believe it to be. We hear people say things like, “That’s your truth, but not my truth.” Jesus declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. As followers of Christ, we must not deny the truth but cling to it, stand on it, and proclaim it.
Living like Christ and leading others comes from devotion to the Lord, time in His Word, time conversing with Him, and spending time with others. Like any skill, we become better with practice. The daily practice of living a Christlike life will help keep us from having our intentions and actions thwarted by the evil one.
When I was a kid, Bible memory was a common spiritual discipline at Sunday school, summer camp, and youth group. One of the verses that I committed to memory back then was Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
A horse may not respond to its rider when they are tired, lazy, or perhaps a little nervous. Sometimes horses that have been ridden with only the bozell get a little head strong as they realize the rider has limited control over them.
There’s a remarkable story of God’s deliverance in 2 Kings 7. The Aramean army had laid siege to Samaria, the royal city of Israel. Israel had been very evil in the years leading up to this siege, but God wanted to demonstrate His mercy and power to them so they might turn from their evil ways and trust Him. Here’s what happened…
Godly examples of men and women in our life provide us with a powerful motivation and pattern for pursuing Christ. Especially when we are young, we simply mimic the example of others, often without conscious thought for what we’re doing. We simply do what they do. My friend Rob shared with me some of the men who served as examples in his life.
Change is inevitable! With change often comes more change, as we adapt to new circumstances, new technology, or new ideas. Whether they’re minor or drastic, the fact is, “adapting” has become a routine part of our daily existence. And it can be quite rattling.
When Paul wrote his first letter to the church at Corinth, it was not a letter glowing with praise for their faithfulness and purity in following Jesus. Instead, Paul had to reprimand them for falling back into worldly ways and for living to please their fleshly desires instead of pleasing God.
When we try to take the credit for something God has done, we are no better—worse. When we flaunt our good deeds for all to see or pretend to be something we’re not, we become hypocrites—pretenders of the worse kind. Eventually we’re sure to be found out.
The present economy has created great uncertainty for many. Believers re-defining their future often struggle, trying to understand God’s will for their lives. No matter how unstable our environment, though, we can rest in knowing God loves us and He is in control. We must remain faithful as we trust Him.
He was big for his age — 220 pounds and six feet tall! Bucking hay bales for his uncle during the summer, he had developed muscles in places most kids just dreamed about. But he was just like any other kid his age, wanting to look and be like someone else.
Salvation involves being delivered from the eternal consequences of sin. It requires that we acknowledge and accept the sacrifice made on Calvary’s Cross by the God-man Jesus. It is only by God’s grace that we are saved. Jesus paid a tremendous price for an indescribable gift.
When courting Louise, nobody ever had to ask me if I was spending time with her regularly. I didn’t have to make a special effort to schedule time with her. I could hardly wait to spend time with her. And I told her everything — my hopes, dreams, fears — even dumb stuff.
That morning when we observed the Lord’s Supper, I looked around and saw that Christ not only died for me, but for these — my brothers and sisters there gathered with me. At the Lord’s Table we are all on a level plane. We all come humbly before Him in need of His grace and love that He extends freely toward us. The Lord’s Supper brings us together like nothing else.
A marriage is like a garden. A beautiful garden needs constant attention. It needs to be watered regularly. It requires the skilled pruning of the master gardener. Weeds must be pulled. And the plants need fertilizing. In the same way, we must tend to our marriage. Here are seven ways to cultivate a healthy marriage.
As fathers, we bear a huge responsibility to provide for and protect our wives and children. And providing and protecting go well beyond going to work and providing a home, food, and clothing. Our kids need our presence and love.