Peace. Whisper the word to yourself and you can almost feel your heart relax. When you’re at peace, you feel an inner confidence that things are not running wild—regardless of the circumstances. Your mind is at rest. Your heart doesn’t flutter with anxiety. Your focus is clear.
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We’re living in a day where evil is called good, and where good is called evil. As Christians, many of us are deeply concerned as we see the moral values in the culture and outside Church rapidly changing. The latest statistics support this. Right now, in the U.S., we have the highest level of people who have no religious affiliation.
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God did not leave us here to isolate ourselves from this darkening culture or to identify with the culture. He left us here to influence the culture. That is God’s purpose for our lives. That was true for the prophet Elijah. Although Elijah lived in a corrupt culture, he understood that his purpose was to influence his culture for God. What made Elijah a spiritual giant in his time? He ...
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The story is told of a young pastor who, in his first pastorate in Philadelphia, was visited by a group from his congregation. Coming into his home, one of the members told the minister, “You aren’t a strong preacher. In the usual order of things, you will fail here. But a little group of us have decided to meet every Sunday morning to pray for God’s blessing upon you.” In ...
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One of the most well-known parables Jesus told, the parable of the sower, is about a farmer who went out to sow seed that fell on four different types of soil. Then Jesus explained that it was a picture of the different reactions people have toward God’s Word.
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The only true source of meaning in life is found in love for God and His son Jesus Christ, and love for mankind, beginning with our own families. Compared to this fundamental system of values, everything else is puny and insignificant. Certainly, there must be a valid reason for living than the mere pursuit of money and possessions!
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Jesus calls us, as his followers, to walk the same way that he walked. And that’s a very hard road. In Mark 8:34–9:1, Jesus realized how little the disciples understood of his ministry. They, like us, figured that following Jesus was a sure way to health, wealth, and happiness. It was within this context of misunderstanding that Jesus gave his hard teaching on discipleship.
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Coronado Island is an idyllic Southern California destination that attracts locals and tourists by the thousands each summer. One popular picnic spot is Spreckels Park, which boasts a sprawling swath of lush green grass, a gazebo, playground equipment, and towering shade trees. There is just one problem: the park is nestled in the center of the nearly 33-square-mile island, directly adjacent to the main thoroughfare and bordered by busy streets ...
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Whether it's their first day of kindergarten or their first semester away at college, raising a child is an exercise in trust. Ultimately, it is the Holy Spirit who must work in the lives of our children, so we must trust the Lord, praying fervently but always with faith that God is at work. Read John 4:46-54. This is an account of a father's love for his son and his faith in ...
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With every fresh new year, it is natural to desire better things, especially when the past has been filled with pressure. It is to the confused, heartbroken, weary, and exhausted that Jesus’ promise of rest sounds sweetest of all. To them, Jesus bids, “Come to Me.”
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