Small Group Devotionals

There is a modern expression that describes an old human need. The expression is "kissing up" and it means to curtsy or cultivate favor with a superior. The human need is, of course, the need to be liked and appreciated by others, especially those who are…

During the weeks preceding Christmas, I watched my children as they counted down the days, hours and minutes until that special moment when the "gifts" were opened. For days they could think of nothing else, everything was secondary to the big event. I think…

Tell me what kind of person is talking here… "I will do it later"; "I will watch the movie, then finish the work"; "tomorrow"; "next time"; You want me to do it now?"… Of course, these sentences come from our mouths when we procrastinate. If…

In an article entitled, "Enjoying the Enduring Magic of Long-Term Friendship," Katherine Lowry lists several important ingredients found in friendships that are able to last for many years. 1. Going through hard times together The people she surveyed had…

I would like to talk about the need to give God 100% and why we should not be afraid of doing so. To illustrate this point I have chosen the story of one of Israel's kings who learned why it was important to give God your all. The king's name was ASA. Asa…

Name one virtue that, more than any other, leads to happiness, and why? I believe gratitude leads to happiness. Ingratitude leads to darkness, separation from God, sinfulness. 8 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness…

In Matthew 6:9, Jesus is teaching His disciples how to pray. "Pray, then, in this way:" This was not so much the teaching of what words to say because the Jews were trained to memorize the psalms and were experienced in offering praise and worship at the…

Perhaps the reason why Christmas time is "special" is because, for some reason or other, everything seems more intense at Christmas. We spend more, eat more, take off work days. Being in love at Christmas is more romantic. We appreciate our families and the…

1 Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly. 2 Great are the works of the Lord; They are studied by all who delight in them. 3 Splendid and majestic is His work, And His righteousness…

I have noticed something about our teens lately that is quite encouraging: they are not ashamed of us. Going to church, singing spiritual songs, being among so many adults, this is not exactly cool. Yet every week I see one or more of our teens bring a friend…

" 12 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. 13 When you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was; 14 for in the wilderness of Zin,…

A few years ago my daughter and I were discussing some of the "popular" people in her school. I was amazed at the time and expense that some of these teenagers would go to be noticed and well-liked by their peers. According to my daughter, who was a keen…

Solomon said, Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. - Proverbs 27:5 I think that both are required in life: correction and love. There are times when a friend or saint in the church needs correction and discipline and I believe that we are usually…

When faced with a decision to do something or get involved in some scheme or plan, people sometimes base their choice on the popular saying "why not?" When they cannot make up their minds they jump into things with the attitude "why not? I cannot think of…

According to various studies people make about 612 decisions each day. Some are involuntary where the brain sends messages to your body to follow through on and others are voluntary because you have to make a conscious choice. When making these voluntary…

In Exodus 21:2 we read the instructions that God gave the Israelites concerning the treatment of slaves. Although the Jews were involved in the universal practice of slavery at that time, the treatment of their slaves was governed by God's restrictions and…

Men don't share. They don't look for opportunities to "get together" as men unless it is to watch something. I don't know if it's genetic or what but guys will head for the hills if they suspect that some event has been organized just to get them to talk…

Have you ever noticed that Paul the Apostle never mentions visiting his victims? Paul, before his conversion, was the chief persecutor of the church. He himself says that: he imprisoned Christians (Acts 22:4); tortured them (Acts 22:5); and had them killed…

At the end of the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon concludes that the greatest blessing God gives to man on earth is the ability to enjoy the "…fruit of his labor…" (Ecclesiastes 3:22). Doing of it The profit from it The satisfaction produced…

You can always spot them, the Christ lovers. I think it has something to do with gravity. If left alone, those who love the Lord will continually move towards Him and those things that concern Him. A good example of this spiritual pull took place during my…

I wondered what to do as the elderly saint before me struggled with the ravages of old age. It seems that when a situation makes no sense, we, in some way, have to create sense out of it. The last days of those who are ill unto death, the mindless destruction…

Every election produces a catchphrase that summarizes the political objectives of one party or the other. FDR's "New Deal" or Lyndon Johnson with the "Great Society" are examples to which it seems President Clinton has added the term "Common Ground" as this…

In Colossians 2:20-23, Paul teaches that the denial of the flesh does not necessarily decrease the power nor the attraction of the flesh. Simple denial, he says, for its own sake profits nothing – not the flesh, not the spirit. It merely leads to pride.…

For Christians, doing the right thing isn't just an occasional moral dilemma, it's a way of life. This is what makes Christianity such a difficult path to follow. You can't just pick and choose when you'll follow the high road or made the tough call - you…