The Point of Prayer I placed another order with Amazon this week. And because of a Prime membership, not only did I order exactly what I wanted, but I received next-day delivery. Talk about great service! On the one hand, the immediate response to my purchase...
Intentional Bible Study – Part 2 Intentional Bible study is not enough. That may not be what you expect to hear from a Bible teacher. But it’s true. Studying the Bible is not enough. Last week, I wrote about several non-negotiables we should practice when we open...
Intentional Bible Study – Part 1 There’s Bible study and then there’s intentional Bible study. But did you know intentionality begins with several non-negotiables before you open your Bible? A high view of God and His Word Instead of a high view of God and His...
Gnarled Branches on Your Family Tree What kind of family legacy did you inherit? Are your parents and grandparents examples of godly men and women, or are you burdened with a discouraging legacy? Holidays such as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day can stir up tender...
Increasing Awareness of Sin: Good or Bad? Ever feel as if you can’t pray because you’re so aware of your own sin? After I first became a follower of Jesus Christ, I was shocked to find I felt more sinful than before I became a Christian. And that awareness...
Power of the Tongue “O, Lord: Help my words be gracious and tender today, For tomorrow I may have to eat them!” “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never harm me.” I can still hear that childish chant echo down through the years. Trouble...
Trying Harder to Believe a Lie Are you concerned that you’re not “doing” the Christian life right? Perhaps you’ve believed the lie that you need to try harder to do better. I was raised to believe that as long as I worked hard and worked smart, I would succeed...
Selective Vision and Selective Listening As a writer and freelance editor, I’ve seen first-hand how easy it is to fall into the trap of selective vision. Some of my editing clients are convinced they don’t need an editor, that is until they receive the edits...
Strong Women In honor of Mother’s Day, many church sermons will be shared this weekend extolling the wonders of that noble, excellent, worthy, or virtuous (depending upon your translation) woman described in Proverbs 31. But I much prefer to be like the other...
Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee Have you ever looked up to a pastor or teacher, wishing you could be as good a Christian as they appeared to be? Perhaps you are the one whom others admire, hoping to be more like you in their Christian walk. In Jesus’s day,...
God’s Providential Answers to Prayer What are you praying for right now? If you’re like me, you have a list of...
K-9 Training for Christians I’m hooked. You might even say addicted. At the very least, I’m enthralled . . . by...
Leave the Shallows to Go Deeper Have you ever begun an activity, only to discover you were getting in deeper...