August 29, 2023 – Giving Through God’s Provision
My friend Rob tells a touching story of faith from his childhood. The church Rob attended with his family was very missions minded. Once a year the church held a missions conference that featured missionaries and God’s work from around the world. The church also gave...
October 25, 2022 – Bear Attack!
Randy had been a long-time resident of Alaska and an avid outdoorsman who loved to fish and hunt. One summer his mom came to visit him and expressed the desire to experience a true Alaskan fishing trip in the backcountry. Randy arranged for a bush pilot to take them...
August 16, 2022 – The Lord Provides
It was the day before payday, and the cupboard was bare. Struggling as he walked around the garden praying, a young pastor learns about God’s goodness and tender care through the provision of radishes.
April 19, 2022 – Delighting in the Lord
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.”
December 7, 2021 – Giving through God’s Provision
After lunch that afternoon, Rob excused himself and told his parents he was going out to drum up some business with the neighbors. That afternoon, Rob landed three weekly lawn-mowing jobs that would more than cover his pledged $4.00 each week.
November 16, 2021 – Can We Ask God for That?
Five or six people shared that morning. They didn’t share anything monumental from the standpoint of the miraculous. But what they did share demonstrated the intimate, loving, trusting relationships that they enjoyed with their heavenly Father.
August 10, 2021 – Fair and Equal
Life sometimes has a way of dealing out circumstances unevenly. Dads and moms often try to balance praise and reward so that each child can feel fulfilled and encouraged. As encouragers we try to be even-handed and fair with our appreciation in order that each child feels equally blessed and loved.
August 3, 2021 – Bad Water
One of my fishing partners had taken his motor home to a state bass fishing competition. In his haste to get some pre-fishing completed, he failed to check the water in his motor home. The half-tank of drinking water had set for many weeks. Giardia had built up in the tank and quickly infected him.
July 20, 2021 – God Is at the Wheel
He shut off the car, got out and walked around the vehicle, but not seeing anything wrong, he got back in, started it, and pulled forward very slowly. Then, he felt the right rear end of the car sag and he knew immediately that the wheel had come off!
June 29, 2021 – Do You Have a Receiving Problem?
For most of my life I’ve had a hard time accepting compliments too. Just saying, “Thanks,” seemed vain. If a friend paid for lunch, I protested, making a mental note to reciprocate. Plain and simple, I’ve had a hard time receiving love.
June 22, 2021 – God’s Amazing Care
Just about the time Les estimated that his grandson had reached the other side of the trees, he looked up and saw a huge Kodiak brown bear at the top of the hill above his grandson on the other side of the trees! The bear had evidently spotted his grandson and took off down the hill toward him.
February 23, 2021 – Share with Those in Need
All she had was a flat tire, but for her, that was monumental. She popped the trunk and Bryan got the jack and spare. Then, he got down on his knees in the wet gravel feeling for where to place the jack. He skinned his knuckles a time or two.
September 29, 2020 – The Formula Trap
Living life by formula is an easy trap to fall into. When life doesn’t turn out like we expect, eventually disappointment and frustration can well up into resentment and disillusionment. What we really create with all our formulas for living is a formula for disaster!
February 25, 2020 – Are You Distracted by Fear and Doubt?
Keeping focused can be a challenge. Whether it’s studying for an exam, taking mental notes during a key meeting, or following through on a plan of action, it’s easy to get distracted if we start looking around at other things.
February 18, 2020 – Do You Live in Constant Fear?
Fear is something that can absolutely extinguish the joy in life. It can make the healthiest person sick to their stomach. It can paralyze your ability to think clearly. Those who regularly experience fear know too well its byproducts — discouragement and doubt.
MONEY— A Tool or A Purpose?
Money is a wonderful thing if we don’t have the pursuit of wealth as our primary focus. Someone once said that more people can be trusted with poverty than those who can handle great wealth. No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the...
May 22, 2018 – Encourage The Downhearted
It was a cold New York December day just before Christmas. A little boy, who was about 10 years old, was standing in front of a shoe store on the roadway, barefoot, peering through the big plate-glass window, and shivering with cold. An older lady approached the boy and said, “My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that window?” The young boy responded, “I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes.”