The Gospel According to Mephibosheth
Paul Harvey once told the story of “The Man and the Birds (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddai8rkXWRs ).” It’s about a man who wanted to help a flock of birds, caught in a snowstorm, get into the safety of his warm barn. He tried to shoo them…he tried to catch them…he tried to lead them with a trail of […]
Face It: We All Stumble (James 3:2)
You and I can be surprised or depressed by how often we stumble or how badly. God isn’t. “The Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For he knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust” (Psa. 103:13-14). Our blunders haven’t discouraged Him…
When Others Fail You (2 Tim. 4:16-17)
A major source of such forgiveness and grace is your deep realization of how much and how often you’ve been the recipient of God’s forgiveness and grace: “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).
No Smiting Allowed (1 Tim. 5:1-2)
What do you do if a fellow Christian sins in a way that hurts you or others? The old word “smite” might come to mind, but it’s not allowed. There’s a much better way both to change them and to honor Christ…
Bread of Life
“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” (Mark 6:34, NIV) Outside of Jesus’ resurrection, the only miracle recorded in all four Gospel accounts is Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000. And of those accounts, only […]
Take Heart
“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? […]
No Regrets
“So he got up and went to his father.” (Luke 15:20) The word regret carries the etymological idea of looking back to weep. Repent means to regret to the point of amending one’s life. Obviously, the difference is huge. And the key is “change.” This Sunday we’re looking at the story Jesus told of the […]
“Is God Enough?” (2 Cor. 12:7-10)
When we begin to turn every petition over to God with full assurance that He will do what is best rather than what is desired – that’s when we settle into His peace. And the longer we walk with Him, the more often we thank Him that He hasn’t given us every dumb thing we’ve asked for.
Choking on Worry
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.“ (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT) Have you ever seen someone […]
Judas’ Cry for Help?
“When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them…and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.” (Luke 6:13, 16) In recent weeks, two celebrities ended their own lives (truth be told, I knew neither). Suicide is heart-breaking! The US Center for Disease Control claims that the suicide rate in our nation […]
The Taxman Cometh
“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.“ (Matthew 9:9, NIV) A little boy goes to the grocery store and asks the clerk for a box of detergent: “I need it to wash […]
No, not Him!
“…But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20, NIV) We all know that famous line from Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son. The father receives the son back, […]
