Why the search for power is not the pathway for the person of God
Paul did not seek to be an insider or power player. He did not seek fame or fortune. As he wrote to the church in Corinth, he clarified the difference between wisdom that comes from God and wisdom that comes from the world.
How to cope with whispers, the most insidious kind of opposition
When we know their whispers are not for our good, we can calmly count on God.
We can expect, we can face, God will help us with . . . opposition
We can learn from Nehemiah how to succeed when opposition comes at us and attempts to stop or slow the mission and work of God’s kingdom family.
As it always was, it still is: God will work through every one of us
Considering that God started his redemption and restoration plan for his creation at the Fall of man and that it is still going on today, we can agree that God’s timeframe is different than ours. All of the heroes of the Bible played a part in it. And God has a part for each of us to play today.
In a divided world, the gospel standard remains: let us be unified
Imagine the unity we could experience if we simply followed Paul’s advice: “Let him who boasts boat in the Lord.”
Nothing can stop the purposes of God, and we can be very glad
If God is all-powerful and all-knowing and his purposes cannot be stopped, then why do we sometimes have trouble trusting that we can trust him to be with us and get us through whatever we are experiencing?
Gifts to all, a variety of gifts, challenges for every believer
Some for all, all about one. A pattern to ponder from a passage that is our favorite.
It won’t change, and you’ll never fully understand. Praise God!
We need not understand the gospel. We need only rejoice that its promise will never, ever change!
A biblical perspective on high temperatures and widespread suffering
I don’t have all the answers for what is happening to Earth, but Paul’s words in Romans remind us that our suffering and the suffering of all creation is temporary.
‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life’
God leads us in paths of righteousness and loves us even when we choose the wrong direction.
We’ve seen this before. Here’s how to keep it from happening again
“ But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.” How often have we seen the same sad pattern develop with a leader who started out trusting in God?
First half, second half: when will my life please God the most?
“He departed with no one’s regret.” Imagine if folks said something similar about you?
When we consider God’s glory and hope, we want to boast about it!
No one wants to be around a braggart. So why does Paul tell us again and again to boast?
We see God’s work and receive his help, so why try to go it alone?
Why think we are wise enough and strong enough to handle some of life and only lean on God in occasional moments of weakness?
The enemy will seek harm for us, but God is ever present to help
The devil has been chasing after believers in God since the beginning of time. And throughout all the ages, God has remained attentive to the pleas of his people.
Even a wise king couldn’t avoid the downfall of compartmentalizing
Solomon prayed for wisdom, and God gave it to him. Unfortunately, however, he eventually failed to use it in every area of his life.
When generations listen to each other, the wisdom can last a lifetime
Whatever your age and your position in work, in church, or in the community, I pray you will listen and accept instruction so you and I can continue to gain wisdom for the future.
Giving to others equals lending to God: a mandate for generosity
God doesn’t need us to loan him anything. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. What God does expect is that our transformation by the power of the gospel will include a change in how we see and use all of the resources we have.
It may be just one thing, but I suspect it is more like one life
Some talk about our service as our “for such a time as this” moment. Maybe it would be wiser simply to think of each moment as a one God can use to accomplish his purpose through us.
There’s so much I cannot do, but there’s one thing all of us can do
The list of things I cannot do would be very long. That’s probably true for you, too. But we can relax with the good news of what God tells every one of us can do.