The parable of the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15 is one of the most heart-stirring stories in the Bible. It’s about a young man who thought he could find happiness far away from home. The Bible doesn’t give an explanation as to why he had become unhappy at home, but he had. So, one…
I have said on several occasions that the expression, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is a lie straight from the pits of hell. Broken bones will heal, but broken and wounded spirits have a difficult time recovering. Solomon says in Proverbs 15:4, “A healing tongue is…
While reading Psalms 1:1, I became curious about how various translations read. I like this one from The New Century version. Psalms 1:1, “Happy are those who don’t listen to the wicked, who don’t go where sinners go, who don’t do what evil people do. They love the Lord’s teachings, and they think about…
A twelve-year-old boy became a Christian during a revival. The following week at school, his friends questioned him about his experience. “Did you see a vision?” one friend asked. “Did you hear God speak?” asked another. The young boy answered no to all their questions. “Well, how did you know you were saved?” they asked.…
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of an incident that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but it had a profound influence on his life. The winter he was nine, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no-nonsense uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of the field,…
In my preaching and teaching, I have frequently said the Bible is a book about Jesus. If you remove Jesus from the pages of the Bible, you are left with a vast emptiness. It would be like plucking the stars from the heavens. I want to expand that a wee bit and say it like…
Life seems to have gotten much more complicated than it was when I was a child. I have fond recollections of the weather being cool, with maybe a little snow, a warm fire, and more food than we could possibly eat. It was family time as we gathered around a table to partake of the…
Psalms 27:5, “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.” As I was reading this verse from the Book of Psalms early one morning, I remembered a scripture I have preached…
I often have conversations with people who struggle with their past. They can’t forgive themselves, and this carries over into their doubt that God has forgiven them. Paul addresses a great truth in Romans 5: the subject of justification. Understanding this will make a difference in our lives. Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, having been justified by…
Even before Jesus left, people wanted to know when He would return. That included the Pharisees, but they phrased their question, ”The Coming of the Kingdom.” In Luke 17, Jesus gave two defining characteristics of what it would be like when He returns. Verse 26, “As it was in the days of Noah.” Verse 28,…