At our core, we all want to make a difference. Who wouldn’t want these words spoken about them: “I am so glad they were on this planet. They made such an impact in my life!”
Read More
Thomas Edison once said, “Many of life’s failures are people who didn’t realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Persistence is the courage to continue pursuing your dream despite unexpected setbacks, undeserved criticism, and unrelenting hard work. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon had a lot to say about the benefits of persistence:
Read More
The first-century church in Ephesus did many things right. The risen and ascended Jesus Himself commended the church for its arduous work for the Gospel, its faithfulness to Him in the face of persecution, and its commitment to the truth (Rev. 2:2–3). But despite all this high praise, the task-oriented, tough-minded, truth-telling fellowship at Ephesus lacked a crucial element. In His letter to the Ephesian church in the book of ...
Read More
At one time or another, we all have used excuses. Now, there’s a difference between a reason and an excuse. A reason is legitimate; an excuse is not. One of the best definitions I’ve ever heard for the word “excuse” is this one: the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie.
Read More
In a well-known study on delayed gratification, researchers invited young children to eat one marshmallow right away or wait for a few minutes to receive two marshmallows. After observing the results and tracking the children for many years, Stanford University researchers determined that the children who waited for two marshmallows grew up to be more mature successful adults than those who didn't wait.
Read More
In the Middle East, the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep is special. Sheep know their shepherd's voice, and they follow him when he calls. If a stranger comes along, the sheep shrink back.
Read More
This psalm begins with fretting but quickly moves to a place of intentional trust. It’s as if the author, King David, is saying, “Don’t give up! You have followed God closely up to this point. Why would you consider compromising now? His plans for you have not changed.”
Read More
Some claim the King James Version is the most accurate translation of the Bible. However, this is simply not the case. In fact, it’s not even based on the earliest manuscripts we have today.
Read More
True reconciliation requires God’s forgiveness; it can occur only if the offended party is willing to forgive and remove the barrier sin creates. The sinner cannot remove that barrier, and so cannot reconcile himself to God. Only the Lord can effect reconciliation by choosing not to count our trespasses against us.
Read More
Here are faith activities to teach kids about freedom through our relationship with Jesus. In the “land of the free,” we often confuse the true nature of freedom. For many of us, freedom has become synonymous with personal independence — the ability to make our own decisions and choose our own path in life, to do whatever we want, whenever we want. It’s what I call “outside freedom.” But this ...
Read More