"Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith." (Prov 25:4 NIV) Just as the dross must be removed from the silver before it can be used, our characters need to be shaped in order to be of use for the Kingdom of God. But how do we do...
"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31) We often played the game, “Red Rover” when I was a child. Do you remember it? First, the captains would choose people to be on their sides, and then the game began....
"So, as the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.'" (Heb. 3:15, Heb. 4:7, Heb. 3:7,8) Sounds like hide 'n seek, doesn't it? While you were still dashing to find a great hiding spot, the person who was "it" finished counting, and...
"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." (1 Cor. 3:6) I am sure you have seen this – weeds or little flowers pushing their way up to the sunshine in a crack of a sidewalk, driveway or road. Sometimes I wonder how they thrive so well, when...
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over...
There are many reasons to praise God. Yes, we need to praise Him for all the blessings He pours into our lives. More importantly (and this pleases Him the MOST) we need to praise and worship Him for what He IS…an embodiment of countless unique traits. IS NOT THE FACT...
In Dealing with Grief Part 9, we learned that when someone you know is grieving, your prayers make more of a difference than you could possibly know! Today's devotional gives us yet another idea about how we can help others deal with grief: AN ENCOURAGING SILENCE...
True story……Two lawyers enter a courtroom to present their pleas to the judge concerning rights to a lake. One, a young attorney, represents the county that uses the lake as a water supply for its citizens and wants to take more due to the current drought. The older,...
Jesus said, "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20) and this never rang more true through my soul than on July 26, 2008 when I had my beloved pet, Smook, put to sleep. I realized more then than ever that Jesus spoke these words not just to the disciples but to me as...
"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song." (Ps 95:1-2 NIV) When I was a little boy our church was always full of music. We didn't have an organ,...