What’s different after Christmas than before? Not much. And that’s exactly the point!

Did you miss God at Christmas? Relax, there’s still time, and he’s still right beside you, waiting.

Advent is not simply waiting to celebrate Christ’s birth. It is about anticipating his final return.

“You better watch out, you better not cry.” “Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.” Hmmm . . . do these songs teach us the right message?

“O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel.” The apostle tells us how God will answer the prayer of Phillips Brooks.

I was wrestling with the deep message in two New Testament passages, when a text from my grandson showed me the simple reality.

I suspect every one of you is in possession of this gift, so my gift is simply a reminder of what you already have. I want us all to take full advantage of this amazing reality!

Most workers I’ve known with Peter’s tendency toward compulsive behavior changed very little over time. But Peter’s little letter shows us what commitment and the power of the Holy Spirit can do.

How do you respond when the end is near? Peter told his readers to get ready for the end, and then he showed them how.

If we want to show the world that a Savior has been born in us, then we will need to do things differently. The same ol’, same ol’ won’t bring joy to the world.

Today’s verse is likely not one of your favorites, and you certainly don’t bring it quickly to mind at Christmastime. But it gives us hope as we wait for a second return, even as we celebrate the first coming of Jesus.

Actually, all of us are royal. The Bible says so, this post explains why, and suggests what we should do about it.

There is one who is always there when we call. Psalm 138: 3 expressed it this way: “On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.”

We can either trip over Jesus or build our lives on him. As we each construct our lives upon the living stone of Jesus, we become a spiritual framework that God uses in expanding his kingdom.

Long before screenwriters used the technique of a plot twist, the Holy Spirit had already mastered the method. And if foreshadowing is a part of a good plot twist, then the ancient writers with divine inspiration used that technique as well. We see all of this in many places in the drama of Scripture, but maybe the book of Esther is the best example of perfect and powerful plot twists.

Today I am considering that Peter’s beautiful words stretch to include my friends and all of us who share friendships with each other as we watched loved ones depart this world and take claim of what we all believe we one day will also receive.

Remember these four words, and you may find a new reason every day to be thankful.

Living with a bad decision is like walking with a bag of sand tied to your feet. And of all the possible bad decisions, choosing the wrong partner is one of the worst.

Just like my stubborn shoulder, God’s people were hard to handle. The Bible had some corrections for them—me, too!

I’ve never heard a preacher speaking of the relation between Haggai and James. But today I saw something new about how they, and you and I, are connected.