Jesus was not the hero wanted and expected by those who first encountered him. But he accomplished his purpose in ways no one would have anticipated.

We all probably want the ones we love and, frankly, ourselves to be among the mature, because maturity brings the best chance at a healthy and purposeful life.

Timothy would soon be without his mentor Paul. He would also be facing new and more difficult challenges in his ministry, and his older and wiser mentor was trying to prepare him for the journey yet to come.

Just as Nehemiah’s detractors used fear to try to stop his work, fear may distract us from the work God has for us to do.

I don’t know exactly when I started repeating and praying these three verses. But for at least 15 years, they have been a part of my daily routine. They have reminded me why I don’t need to be afraid.

Experts say the problem is increasing, but Solomon’s ancient wisdom can help those trapped by burnout today.

I have tried to live in such a way that I heard the nudge from God telling me what to do next. I’m noticing today that Paul’s words to Timothy can help me figure that out in the future.

I think I’m experiencing contentment, and then some struggle falls into my lap or lands on my shoulders. But I can’t deny the good that comes with godliness with contentment.

People-watching can be fun, sometimes even educational. But the bigger question is what people see when they’re watching us!

The apostle Paul used many images to describe the purpose and function of the church. Each one of them can help believers understand how to be the church today.

With each new generation there seems to be a higher expectation that any and everything should be instant. But as I read Proverbs, I’m thinking about time in the development of wisdom.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you read your Bible daily, memorize all of the teachings of Jesus, and then live as if you have never heard of him?

He didn’t have a second of all or third of all, which I think establishes the point that Paul was really saying above everything else or above all things, this is the priority.

Comparison shopping may be good for our pocketbooks. But many other kinds of comparison can hurt us emotionally, psychologically, or worst of all, spiritually.

Everybody’s talking today about the differences between the generations now alive and active in our culture. But perhaps not enough are discussing the responsibility of one generation for the next.

Sometimes I pray for the emergency. Sometimes I pray about a situation for years. But I’ve learned to keep praying because prayer always keeps me closer to God.

Carrying a lot of responsibility can lead some toward arrogance that suggests only you can figure things out, solve the problems, and save the day. But none of us has all the answers.

When we embrace the goodness of God and do our work at home and at our jobs, we discover that God rewards and honors our work.

King David and his son King Solomon both had thoughts about sleep. But maybe the advice of Jesus is the best for us as we tackle our sleep problems.

I may not be worried about what I’ll eat or whether I have the right clothes to wear. That doesn’t mean I’m not anxious about many things.