Devotionals

When it comes to faithfulness to the assembly some reasons are valid. Illness, the demands of work, family crisis, even travel for vacation are all proper excuses for not being present on Sundays or Wednesdays...

It has often been said that in matters of salvation we shouldn't trust our feelings. Of course, we cannot discern the truth from false doctrine merely by using our emotions; we need reason and intelligence...

We'd be selfish and rude if we didn't give thanks or at least feel appreciative for the abundance we have here in America. There is much to be thankful for, most of it too obvious to ignore. But is you...

For years I failed at developing the habit of daily Bible reading until I began using a notebook. Now I read a portion of the word each day and note whatever new information and ideas I discover. Using...

We never describe her this way but with Joseph dead, Mary was a single mother of seven by the time she was middle-aged. She would have easily fit into the modern-day statistics that count one out of every...

I don't think anyone would argue the fact that becoming a responsible person is a worthy goal. However, too much of this good thing can lead to burn our or (when it comes to religion) legalism. Let us...

They say your life flashes before your eyes before you die. If it is so, this must explain why Christians die happy. David says it this way, The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, He is their...

Those who let themselves be controlled by their lower natures live only to please themselves, but those who follow after the Holy Spirit find themselves doing those things that please God.- Romans 8:5...

Christopher Reeves, who played Superman in the movies, broke his neck in a riding accident. Doctors reported that he would probably be completely paralyzed. My first response was that morbid kind of curiosity...

For the Jews, circumcision was a rite of passage that permitted them to claim all of the promises made to God's chosen people (Genesis 17:11-14). From Abraham to Jesus, every Jew was required to undergo...

In the fifteenth chapter of his prophetic book, Isaiah pronounces God's judgment on the Moabite nation and their idolatrous practices. Their response, he predicts, will be to intensify their religious...

There is a saying that goes, "All things in moderation." The idea is that so long as you are moderate it's okay to try anything. The more accurate saying is, "All things permissible in moderation," since...

I wonder just how much children really enjoy their parents' presence at their games. I sat among a group of moms and dads recently who had turned out to cheer on their kids at a school baseball tournament...

Recently, a research team studied the profiles of one hundred people who had scored highest on testing that measured personal happiness. Of all the traits among these successful, stable and highly content...

In Ephesians 3:20, Paul says that God can do more than we dare ask. Have you ever wondered why we usually are timid in the things we ask God for? Perhaps some of the reasons: 1. Too Much Change We don...

Advertising used to be about making a product desirable or demonstrating why one was better than the others. Today, the product itself is irrelevant. Jean ads are about sex; shoe commercials define your...

In his book, "Four Things Every Parent Should Know," John Croyle reviews four basic things that contribute to successful parenting. 1. Love them unconditionally Children need to know that parents will...

Have you ever noticed that as you and your family grow older, there are fewer gifts under the Christmas tree? When our kids were small the living room was filled with presents of every size as each child...

It's a comforting thought that God will not place a burden on us that we can't carry. Paul put it this way, ...and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with...

One of the most difficult things to learn is Christian mathematics. The ideas of three persons in one God, hundredfold interest on giving, seventy times seven forgiveness are math concepts unique to the...

The other day I found myself all in a flux over retirement. It seems that my pension wasn't what it was supposed to be. Investment specialists reminded me over the radio, through the mail, even at lectureships...

Christians live by the promises of God. One such promise is found in the book of Psalms, They (the righteous) will not be ashamed in the time of evil; and in the days of famine, they will have abundance...

One thing the quiet of night affords you is the time and silence to hear yourself think of all the things that might go wrong with your life. It must have been such a moment that drove my youngest daughter...

What do David, the woman at the well, and Peter the Apostle have in common? They were all failures. David committed adultery and murder; the Samaritan woman failed at marriage five times; and Peter, well...