Stop Fussing . . . and Focus Instead

Mary . . . sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.” The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing.

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Fighting the Fast Fade

Can you remember those pointed challenges from the preacher who stood before you with Bible in hand? How many hours have passed since you sat there, opening your ears and heart to counsel from God’s always-relevant Book? A few dozen, maybe? Ah, it’s starting to fade, isn’t it? Those incisive, potentially life-changing principles are swimming away in a sea of forgetfulness. What a frustration! Why can’t we hang on to those mental, spiritual handholds we need so desperately?

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Waiting

BY THE TIME Ishmael arrived, Abram had turned eighty-six. If we skip ahead to read about the birth of Isaac, the true son of Abram’s covenant with God, we’ll see Abram was one hundred years old then.

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Not Alone: Drawing Near to Christ in a Socially Distant World

In our new coronavirus world, being together has become a rare and treasured experience. As the “invisible enemy” named COVID-19 continues its relentless march around our world, we remain apart to curb its spread. “Social distancing” has become a strange, new norm.I realized recently that there’s a major difference between being distant from each other and being absent. Distance keeps […]

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Things That Strangle Us

While reading through Mark’s Gospel recently, I was drawn into the scene of chapter 4. You remember, it’s that time Jesus sat down in a little boat by the seashore and talked about a farmer who dropped seeds into the dirt. Same seed, different soil, different results. Four to be exact.

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That Subtle Sin

Do you know which sin is the subtle enemy of simple faith? Materialism and greed? Anger? Lust? Hypocrisy? No. All of these sins are certainly our enemies, but none of them qualify as subtle enemies.

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Out of the Shadows

“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?…The Shadow knows!” Back in the day, before many of us were born, this iconic line introduced a mystery thriller series on American radio. The Shadow was played by Orson Welles among other actors during the course of three decades on air. Each episode would sign […]

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That Subtle Sin

Do you know which sin is the subtle enemy of simple faith? Materialism and greed? Anger? Lust? Hypocrisy? No. All of these sins are certainly our enemies, but none of them qualify as subtle enemies. Stop and think. Once you decide to trust God in simple faith and allow Him complete freedom to carry out […]

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