The peace of God Do you ever think deeply about your soul and its condition? I mean, really? We long for a lot of things; like a new job, a life mate, a new home, the end of a very hot summer. And our appetites, our hunger, is for so many things, none of which […]
Believe The debate over faith and works has been around for thousands of years. But God actually settled it early on when he called a gentile to leave home and country to a life of sojourning all his days. He obeyed. Several years passed and Abram (Abraham later) and Sarai (Sarah later) were childless, in […]
God saves To do what? Well, we can’t save anyone—that’s God’s work. As noted above in this verse, we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ to do good works prepared by him in advance before the foundation of the world. So, God does the saving with a purpose for us in mind. But, honestly, what […]
Resurrected life I am certain that each of you has a memorable spiritual experience this Easter. Mine was especially meaningful as Joanne and I worshiped with her sister, Sue, at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee. Meaningful because this was the building that was First Baptist Church when I was growing up, and I was […]
Valued Have you ever thought of yourself that way? More valuable than a lot of the most common of birds? On the surface it doesn’t appear you’re worth much. Cheer up, let’s look deeper. These words were expressed by Jesus to his disciples. He was making a point that we should not fear those who […]
As you walk through life, there are many directions and choices that confront you. Attaining some level of wealth is on most people’s mind. Nothing wrong with that. But many fall into the trap of securing enough wealth so they don’t really need much else. It is supposed to buy you happiness. You feel blessed, […]
Worldview dictates your response As we see things play out across the world, even in our own country, a natural tendency would be to be depressed and anxious. Everyone has a choice…a natural worldview, or a Christian worldview. How you respond to events depends on the lens through which you’re looking. Frankly, if it wasn’t […]
Experience the grace and sufficiency of Christ Contentment seems to escape most of us, if not all. The desire for more is so strong. And to have a difficult situation be removed without any pain or suffering. So many situations that rob us of being content. What’s yours? Paul, addressing the Philippians, made them aware […]
Suffering leads to repentance Friends, I believe we are at the point that Israel was when Solomon beseeched the Lord on behalf of the people. The message from God to Israel right before verse 14 was this. “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or […]
No Greater Love John 15 in total is one of the most revealing, instructional, personal chapters in the New Testament. It is known as the ‘vine and branch’ text. They are all words of Jesus to his disciples. He demonstrates how we can produce fruit, more fruit and much fruit in our lives. Simply by […]