How to avoid being filled with hot air but little nutritional value
I loved the first popovers I’ve ever tried. But I don’t think they make a good model for our faith.
We can be grateful for the many who have made our success possible
If I were to acknowledge all who have made my leadership possible, it would be a very long list, indeed!
‘You’re all that’—a prescription for division, a prelude to failure
Paul dealt with the problem centuries ago as he wrote to the ancient church in Corinth. And, sadly, we’re still dealing with it today, even in the church we know.
The big difference between our rest from God and simply taking it easy
Rest was good for King David, and it’s good for us. But then he let his rest settle into self-indulgence, and his problems became worse than ever.
After 400 years of silence, some may still find it hard to repent
400 years of silence preceded John the Baptist’s call to repent. And now, after another 400 years of silence about racial injustice in our great country, we have some repenting to do, too.
He sought God with his whole heart, but that didn’t make him perfect
This is the third day I’ve been thinking about how we can please God even though we’re not perfect. The Bible hero David gives us much to consider on this score.
Waiting on God and obeying him, while important, are not a checklist
There’s much we can do while waiting to experience the depth of the richness of the wisdom and knowledge of God. But these strategies do not form a checklist that will produce or provide the results you want and on the schedule you have in mind.
God does not use formulas to meet our needs or solve our problems
God is faithful. He’ll always help. But often his answers to our prayers will come in ways we never would have expected.
All hope of being saved was finally abandoned. And then God spoke.
Shipwreck was inevitable. Death seemed certain. Hope was gone. And then God told Paul what would happen next.
How to cope when there’s so much you can’t control or influence
Even before the pandemic, each of us was faced with situations we just couldn’t control. In such moments, especially for the leader, focusing on mission is vital.
What to do in a tight spot or between a rock and a hard place
Everyone gets in a tight spot sooner or later. Two Bible examples give insight into how to cope.
The prayer of Jabez is interesting, but not the model for me
I’ll take the prayer of Jesus over the prayer of Jabez. I’ve learned some things about prayer from Paul, too.
Everyone has the same decision: What will be your next steps?
We all have a decision to make about our present circumstances and our next steps. It’s all about our focus and our faith.
Don’t underestimate the power of your words. Solomon didn’t!
This is not a devotional about dental hygiene. It’s all about the words we speak. I’m also not writing to discuss proper grammar or the importance of a good vocabulary. This is about how your words can literally change the direction of a community.
How to keep from giving up and giving in when you face hard times
Very seldom will someone just give up at the first indication of struggle or pain. It’s when it persists for very long that discouragement creeps in. Before you realize it, the negative self-talk begins. But it doesn’t need to continue.
You can raise them well, but they still have to make their own choices
Sometimes we wish we had a formula that would guarantee the kids grow up successful,, full of faith, and without pain. Eventually we realize our children are free to make their own choices. I thought of this when I read today about Eutychus.
Sometimes we all might need to be reminded, “Just keep going!”
When I someone says, “I have a situation,” often this means they are in the middle of a difficultly or, worse, a crisis. We all have situations, and today’s passage gives clues for getting through them.
How do you decide to stay, when escape to freedom is so possible?
Given the chance to escape our captors, which one of us wouldn’t have decided to leave? Maybe we can learn something from Paul’s decision just to stay put.
I don’t know about you, but I just don’t like to stand still
God and I have had many conversations on this topic. I’ve gotten better at stillness. But these daily devotionals convict me. I have to fight simply to listen.
From the ordinary, to the remarkable, to the sadly spoiled by fear
It’s a sad story, one that could have been so inspiring, one that we don’t have to repeat in our lives.