In our society of instant communication—cell phones, text messaging, etc.—we have lost the significance and meaning of words. We rarely think about the significance of the words we use to get our message across. This was not always the case.
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There’s something special about seeing older married couples in love. Take my mom and dad for example. My mom refused to leave dad’s side until the day he passed on to heaven this past January. Even though MS had wrecked his body, his personality and faith were strong, and they still flirted with each other every day. My in-laws are similar. They just celebrated 63 years of marriage. Ron brings Dorothy ...
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When nobody is around and when we're able to be absolutely honest with ourselves before God, we entertain certain dreams and hopes. We want very much by the end of our days to have ____________________ (fill in the blank). However, it may well be that we will die with that desire unfulfilled. Should that occur, it will be one of the hardest things in the world for us to face ...
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God has a divine plan for everything in life. But it is only when we are in a right relationship with God that we can really trust His plan. That is the second point Solomon made in Ecclesiastes 3. He said a right relationship with God is the key to trusting His plan. Look at verse 11: “He has made everything appropriate in its time.”
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The hardest thing to establish, even for me many times, is to keep God’s intent for marriage in its rightful place when emotions denominate the atmosphere. What I mean by rightful place is remaining focused on God’s agenda for marriage, no matter how vulnerable that may make me feel. Many times, it’s hard to keep the brain working when our emotions are high. Our emotions tend to dethrone God sometimes ...
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At one time or another, every Christian confronts the question “What is God’s will for my life?” When it comes to the specifics, the answer will differ for each of us according to context and calling, and we must exercise wisdom as we prayerfully study God’s Word and apply it in our lives.
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This is why we worship the Lord in song. Worship is an important part of service. A worship leader/team is not there to perform for you. They “perform” for an audience of one: God! And they are not a warm-up act either.
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I was chatting with a friend last week who pastors a large church in my town. We were simply trying to schedule a phone call together, and after looking at our calendars, realized it couldn't happen for a month. A simple phone call. This is the pace of life we've all come to accept as "normal."
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What do we mean when we say “gospel above all”? Is that another way of saying “just preach Jesus” and avoiding the messy and uncomfortable conversations about injustice? For sure, some generations of Christians have been guilty of that in the past—using the cloak of “just preach the gospel” to avoid the awkward and uncomfortable implications of the gospel for social dynamics. Is that what we mean?
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A sight I will never forget recently happened at the pool. Last summer my seven-year-old son couldn’t stand to have water on his face. For several years my husband and I guided and did our best to teach him how to swim. Yet, he still found it challenging to swim and HATED water on his face. This summer, one of my favorite sights was witnessing him diving into the deep end and ...
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