Growing older is a fact we all must face. Now . . . you’re not going to get me to declare when growing up stops and growing old starts—not on your life! But there are some signs we can read along life’s journey that suggest we are entering the transition. (How’s that for diplomacy?) Ironically, […]
Read MoreTag Archives: Second Timothy
Your Marching Orders from God
You may not have thought about it before, but Christians have a lot more in common with soldiers than we might think. In what way? For starters, soldiers don’t serve to protect themselves but to guard the interests of their homeland. There is simply no room for ego or grandstanding among soldiers during the heat […]
Read MoreNeeded Today: A Ministry of Encouragement
Henry Drummond’s remark haunts me at times: . . . how many prodigals are kept out of the Kingdom of God by the unlovely character of those who profess to be inside?1 Will you allow me, in this private chat with you, to pick out one “unlovely characteristic” frequently found in Christian circles . . […]
Read MoreHow Can I Deal with My Fear?
Question: I was hurt in the past when some relationships went bad, and now I’m afraid of starting new relationships. When I attend church, I keep to myself. Even at work, I don’t talk much with people. I know that’s not right. How can I honor God and point others to Him without building relationships? […]
Read MoreHow Firm Is Your Foundation?
Gaps, cracks, and droops. Sticking doors, scraping windows, and sagging floors. If you live in a part of the world with soft soil or an extreme climate, you know about foundation problems. Unless you plant your piers on the bedrock, your house could very well shift, sink, or settle. In the same way, without digging […]
Read MoreWhat the Bible Says about Lust
What the Bible Says about Lust God’s Word speaks to the depths of our sensual desire. Moral compromise is challenged by the truth of God’s unwavering standard of holiness. The Bible offers words of wisdom and instruction, prompting us to trust God for our deliverance from worldly desire. The following passages reveal the destructive power […]
Read MoreCommitting to the Road Less Travelled
M. Scott Peck began his book The Road Less Traveled with this truth: “Life is difficult.”1 Writing this reality or reading it is one thing; accepting it is another. Are you wrestling with the struggles of life today, knowing that changing your circumstances is not one of your options? You’re not alone; the difficulty of […]
Read MoreA Tradition You Can Trust
Near the end of his life and ministry, with martyrdom looming before him, the apostle Paul dictated a letter for one of his closest ministry assistants—a young man named Timothy. In that letter, Paul encouraged Timothy to hold on to what he had been taught, to guard believers from harm, to stand firm against temptations, […]
Read MoreThe Biblical Basis for Encouragement
The Scripture that I want us to look at is Hebrews 10. All the way through this letter the spotlight is upon Jesus Christ, the Superior One. He has opened for us a new and living way to the Father. We don’t have to go through a system of works. We don’t have to go […]
Read MoreBe Careful This Christmas
Dr. Seuss wasn’t thinking of me when he wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Charles Dickens would not have asked me to play Scrooge in his story. In spite of what you may read later . . . remember that! I’m not anti-Christmas, nor do I brandish the overused bumper sticker, “Put Christ Back into […]
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