Pain can hit us hard. It may be the loss of a loved one, family tension, betrayal by a friend—struggles can hurt. The temptation in these situations is to sit in fear and wallow in self-pity. I know I did when I became blind. But as we are going through First Peter, the apostle offers … Continue reading In Spite of Pain →

The way we greet each other is significant. The words and tone we use with various people reveals much about our relationship, our previous interactions, and our shared experiences. For instance, whenever I get together with one of my former employers, he says, “Hey, boss.” Long back story there, but it’s been a joke between … Continue reading Promise of Encouragement →

As we draw to the close of 2020, there is so much uncertainty in the world. Will COVID19 end? Can a vaccine actually be developed? Who actually won the election? In his first epistle, Peter offers some council for us in these difficult times.  1 Peter is an amazing book. Although it is one of … Continue reading Chosen Strangers →

God will often line the timing of things up in a unique way. For instance, the month of October was the month Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the door of the Whittenburg church in 1517, and I’m studying the Reformation this month in my church history class. I have also been reminded of the … Continue reading Five Statements of Truth →

Sometimes in Scripture, God has imbedded a message in the combination of verses of a longer passage, even if that message is not explicitly stated. I found an example of this as I was reading in Matthew’s Gospel account. In the first two chapters, Jesus is presented as the Davidic King and the fulfillment of … Continue reading Here He Is →

 We’ve probably all heard about the “ancient paths” in Jeremiah 6:16, but have we ever taken the time to pause and consider what that really means? And if so, how does that apply to our lives today? I started meditating upon this verse recently, and I found there’s a whole lot wrapped up in this … Continue reading A Single Path →

Have you ever been reading something and suddenly, you’re like, “Boom! That’s it—that sums up the whole message?” I found this to be true when reading through the book of Hebrews recently.  Through this epistle, the author has been tracing several themes: themes of Christ’s authority, His Priesthood, the Covenant, etc. He continues to build … Continue reading Doesn’t Have To Be Said →

Sometimes when you’re reading through the Gospels, you come to a statement of Jesus and you just put the brakes on. You’re like, “Hold on—why did He say that?” We know Jesus had a purpose for everything He said, but the context doesn’t seem to make sense at first glance. At least, that’s the way … Continue reading Fix Our Eyes →

It has often been said that we become like those we associate with. Well, a similar thing can be said for our minds. What we choose to think about, to let our minds dwell on, determines and shapes future thoughts. If we choose the good things, we will be training our minds to think of … Continue reading Not That Kind of Meditation →

Like many of you, I enjoy having music playing in the background…and there are times I can’t help but sing along. One recent incident reminded me of a truth we need to dwell on. I was washing dishes and listening to some worship music, and “Is He Worthy” came on by Chris Tomlin. It describes … Continue reading Great Motivation →