Recent studies have shown that, on average, Americans feel more stress now than they did just twenty years ago. We have over scheduled and overworked ourselves to the point that many are simply overwhelmed. It’s no coincidence that the rate of clinically diagnosed depression and anxiety disorders has also skyrocketed in the last few years….
It’s sad that some people don’t find very much joy in the church. Some see the church as a burden, and others see it as a nuisance. Still more people see Christ’s church as a killjoy, an entity that seeks to rob them of every pleasure they might otherwise enjoy. How do you view Christ’s…
Children are the purest, most innocent people I know. Every day they rediscover the world with a freshness and exuberance that many adults seem to have lost. For kids, everything is exciting — from discovering a new bug on the front porch to just walking through the woods on a “discovery expedition.” Children report what…
If God wills, this year will consist of 12 months / 52 weeks / 365 days. How will you use that time? Have you given it any thought? Fact is, not many things can be done at one time. Some things simply have to come first. The turn of a new year is time to…
“They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall soar with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Sometimes life seems like it’s soaring like an eagle. We’re on top of the world with our cares and worries far below. At…
Stress. Pain. Anguish. Grief. The Christian experiences all of these emotions from time to time. How should our faith respond? Psalm 119:73-80 deals with our attitude toward affliction in light of the richness of God’s word. Notice the following: God gives life meaning (v.73) — “Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding…
As one who enjoys studying the Bible, I have come across several verses that have special meaning to me over the years. This list is presented to stimulate you, the reader, to think about which verses from God’s word would make your own “Top Ten” list: #10 — 1 Samuel 16:7 — “…The Lord does not…
Prayer is a lot like spiritual breathing — our souls suffocate without it. However, in the experience of many people, effective prayer seems to be lacking. Some Christians fall into a pattern of foxhole prayer: we turn to God and pray only when the bullets of the enemy are whizzing over our heads and there seems…
Jesus Christ used unfailing logic in everything He ever did. Consider the time He went to Matthew’s house to eat: people despised Matthew and his tax-collector friends because of their corrupt ways (Mark 2:15-16). On the other hand, people exalted the well-thought-of Pharisees and scribes because of their religious knowledge and zeal. Why would Jesus…
In 1955 a young Senator named John F. Kennedy wrote a book about several historical people who had acted with integrity and courage in politics. The book, which later won the Pulitzer Prize, was entitled, “Profiles in Courage.” Perhaps we also would do well to examine some Bible characters who acted courageously. Caleb and Joshua…