How Do We Listen Wisely? In our last post , we learned at the feet of Peter how to present truths to believers that they have not heard before or that they have not heard clearly  before .  But what about when we hear something “new” and “strange” from a leader? What steps can we take to be both open to new, truthful ideas and careful to guard against false ones? Taken by inference from the Acts 11 passage and elsewhere, there are many wise steps to take. First, those b

Part 1 - Sharing the Strange, New, but True!   A borrowed phrase ( Acts 17:20 ) fits a common issue! What do we do when we hear some new allegedly “Christian teaching?" It might be far away in the Christian world, but it has been brought close by social media. Or it might be as close as your church’s pulpit. You hear something and wonder if it is true. Hopefully, you are already mature enough, well-fed by the regular absorption of the meat of God’s word publicly and privately

Lightning-fast prayer and answers are possible!

The Surprising Quietness of the Christmas Characters!  Christmas is a dynamic season! Side by side with believers who are rejoicing in the birth of our Savior and enjoying abundant Christian lives ( Psalm 119:17; John 10:10 ) are other believers suffering through seasons of mourning and sadness.  To dispel that darkness, Jesus came to be the light of the world, to shine the glory of God into our hearts. Knowing Jesus gives us the promise that, despite anything that happens

“Any Given Sunday” is a popular phrase in football. It is a motivational reminder for coaches and players that anything is possible when the game is played. The worst team can pull off an upset, or a mediocre player can set a personal record. Part of the joy of sports competition is the unknown. And it is an even better phrase for Christians: Any Given Sunday : A soul may be saved! Any Given Sunday : A marriage might be mended! Any Given Sunday : A Christian may be strength

What? Something they have in common? They both triangulated!  Politically, Bill Clinton chose to take stances that were more moderate...

Bees are great examples of how to meditate!

The Freedom of Getting Freedom Right! What is freedom? I am not asking if you like freedom. Many readers live in countries that champion...

Getting Closer through Challenging Circumstances! You see it on t-shirts, hear it from athletes, and read it on gym walls: "No pain, no...

The Missing Pieces in Your Prayer Life, Part 2              In the last post , I proved  that the biblical pattern of praying begins...

The Missing Piece in Your Prayer Life, Part 1             We are blessed with an abundance of advice and sound biblical teaching about...

How did Jesus prepare for Passion Week?

What a simple decision! Choose the honor of praying before the assembly or to honor of the name of Jesus.!

You can survive it – by the grace of God! Quitter’s Day is today, the resolution apocalypse , observed each year on the second Friday of...

Be Blessed Like the Holy Family!   Psalm 1:1-2 forcefully insists - that those whose “delight is in the law of the Lord” and who...

Stealth technology wields fascinating power because of its ability to make an aircraft or ship undetectable, enabling any mission to...

Five Joyful Reflections on Twenty-five Blog Posts!

I love to be asked this question, but I often hesitate before answering. Curious Christians ask me why I have memorized 14 New Testament...

The Legacy of Eleven Verses that Changed a Lumberjack’s Life!  Oregon Historical Society Frontier Work!               It is truly...

Reading the Bible is how God changes you, even if you cannot tell. Resist the temptation to to stop reading God's means of changing you!