Joshua knew what it meant to stand his ground against the surrounding culture. Today, we need an entire generation of Joshuas—men and women who will stand boldly on the Lord's promises and teach their children to know, honor, and trust Him.
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Intimacy is the connection of spirit to spirit, soul to soul, heart to heart. It's the connection people have when they love Jesus and each other. It's a beautiful, wonderful thing. Of course, true intimacy is rare these days. That's because intimacy requires trust, the kind of trust that allows a person to be his or her true self.
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Have you ever wondered how Moses handled discouragement? Or how Paul maintained a positive attitude when he faced the criticism and threats of others? Surely Paul fought with discouragement when he faced the threat of death. However, he kept his focus set on Christ, his source of infinite strength and eternal hope. We can do the same.
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The Bible says that when Christ died on the cross, He did so to "redeem" sinners (see Titus 2:12-14). But have you ever thought about what it really means to be redeemed? You see, redemption is a marketplace term. It comes from the world of commerce. It means "to buy something back." Historically, it was used in the slave trade. A slave, made so by debt or circumstance, could be ...
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Imagine looking up at the evening sky in the desert somewhere in the Middle East thousands of years ago. Think of all the brilliant stars you would have seen without the ambient lights of modern civilization. That's the type of night sky Abraham would have seen when God told him, "Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them. . . . So shall your ...
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Do you ever find yourself absorbed in the activities of life and wonder how you became so busy? Many people overextend themselves to the point of exhaustion. When asked why they are rushing here and there, they answer that they are just keeping up with the normal details of life.
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Whether you are married or not, Peter has some good advice: The beauty of your character is your greatest asset. No matter what people say about you or do to you, your character says the most about who you are. The decisions you make when no one is watching determine the depth and nature of your character.
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The apostle Paul knew about the dangers of false teaching. As an itinerant evangelist, he would travel from town to town, preaching the Gospel and planting churches. Many times, after he would leave a city to continue on his mission, false teachers would come in and teach God's people destructive doctrines and lies. These false teachers were wicked men who would do anything to attain their ends. In Thessalonica, for ...
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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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Sin—the product of disobedience—is deceitful. We can even be mired in sin and yet unaware of our disobedience because of our cultural blindness. It is a consequence of the fall that we struggle against daily—a brokenness that we could never cure—a failing with an ultimate cost. Romans 6:23 tells us that "the wages of sin is death"—a debt too high for any of us to pay. That's why our God of grace ...
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