“I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;I will guide him and restore comfort to him,creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel.Peace, peace, to those far and near,”says the Lord.3 “And I will heal them.”But the wicked are like the tossing sea,which cannot rest,whose waves cast up mire and mud.“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the

Less than two weeks later another woman came to our home for some help creating a missionary presentation. My computer kept crashing, prolonging the evening. Every few moments she kept commenting on how out of date our furniture was. Yes. The armchairs sat there in their dusty pink glory from a fashion some 15 years earlier. But they were clean and

1. Scripture The first language of God is Scripture, and it’s our Rosetta Stone. All the other languages are secondary languages, and they must be interpreted through the filter of Scripture. What’s unique about the Bible is that we don’t just read it, it reads us. Why? Because it’s living and active. When you open the Bible, God opens His mouth. A

From beginning to end, my salvation (and yours) is all of God.If you fear losing your salvation, these passages are your peace. Your comfort. Your rest.What About The Warnings Regarding Losing Salvation?Of course, this does raise a rather sticky question: what about the passages of scripture that seem to warn against falling away?For example, Hebre

1. A Prayer That We Will Accept the SaviorRev. Billy Graham spoke these words in New York in 1957, reminding us how deeply we are loved by our Creator. Praise God that Graham shared this message of love with so many around the world.  Our Father and our God, we pray that… we all might be conscious that Thine eye is upon us. If God can see the sparr

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42)“Even a cup of water!” Most of the deeds Jesus will reward won’t be monumental, but the smallest acts of kindness in his name.All those diapers you change, all those stories you tell

God Sees It All - Yes, Even That!Have you ever intentionally done something wrong, then foolishly thought the Lord couldn’t see or wouldn’t care? The truth is, God is watching everywhere. He sees both the evil and the good. The darkness we hide in is as light to Him—we will never escape His loving, caring and correcting presence. Knowing He is pres

Jesus says "I love you" by inviting us to be with Him forever Jesus shows us His love by inviting us to His eternal home and welcoming us. Jesus forgives us with open arms when we repent. He waits patiently for us to show up with a surrendered heart and willingness to change. He never gives up on us.Jesus told us about the Prodigal Son, (Luke 15:11

On the Spot The Bible tells the story of two thieves on the cross. They were being crucified on the same day Jesus was. The word thief the Bible uses is a much more intense word. They were not just men who stole things. They probably were murderers and insurrectionists revolting against Roman tyranny. That is why Rome would hang people like that on

Faith is a Gift From GodWe cannot save ourselves. We cannot work hard enough or be good enough. Only God has both the power and authority to save us. From beginning to end, our salvation is solely His work. Yes, God saves us through our faith. We are “justified” by faith (Romans 5:1). But even our faith is given to us by God. We can take credit for

1. Don’t try to live like a celebrity.Ironically, the more you shine a spotlight on yourself while you’re seeking approval from others, the less satisfied you’ll feel. In God’s eyes, you’re valuable even when you’re not visible. Fame and fortune may bring you temporary happiness, but they can never bring you lasting joy. If you allow yourself to de

I close out this brief series with memorable words from Spurgeon on the absurdity of discontentment for the follower of Christ:“Permit me to remind you again, that you should be contented, because otherwise you will belie your own prayers. You kneel down in the morning, and you say, “Thy will be done!” Suppose you get up and want your own will, and

1. Because God Himself is with us.Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1.9Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” DT 31.6We

After Moses was born, his mother put him in a basket made of bulrushes and placed it among the reeds by the Nile. The daughter of Pharaoh happened to come down to the river and happened to notice it. When she opened it, the baby happened to cry. The daughter of Pharaoh took pity and adopted Moses as her own son (Ex. 2:3–10). As a result, Moses was

Why not lie? It’s true that God commands us not to lie, but I think we need to dig deeper. Why does God hate lying? Why does lying make the top Ten Commandments cut?You ready? Here are two reasons.1. God can't lie.Did you know that God’s commands reflect His character?When God tells you and me not to lie, it’s because God never lies. In fact, He ca

When I walked through the darkest days of my life, days filled with adultery and pain, I often felt as if I was dead. The life had been drained from me. My life had shattered, never to be repaired. The beautiful future that I expected had been devastated in a moment. My hope was gone. I would have preferred to be with my Savior in heaven rather tha

• Mary was to have a Son.• His name was to be Jesus.• He would be great, in fact, the Son of God.• His birth would be in fulfillment of all those prophecies that foretold the coming of the Messiah and His eternal reign over the nation of Israel.Each of these points is important, of course. But in the message itself, as well as in the context, the e

What are the spiritual disciplines? When Christians speak of “spiritual disciplines” they usually mean regular practices that benefit our lives and produce fruit. Much like the discipline of daily exercise or reading will produce benefits in our lives.The Bible has no comprehensive “spiritual disciplines list” we should practice, but it does give u

If I can't trust someone to remain true to their word when they have made the most solemn pledge of their entire lives before God, spouse, and a Christian congregation, why should I trust them for anything else?Now, of course, God is a God of amazing grace, wonderful forgiveness and countless fresh starts. And I have dear friends who sinned miserab

1. Persecution: Matthew 10:24-26a."A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more members of his household? Therefore, do not fear them...."I wish I had kept every note from