On November 3, 2022, during game five of the World Series, the announcers mentioned a throwback to my childhood. The Astros’ Ryan Pressly threw a pitch that hit catcher Martin Maldonado on the knee and bounced 60 feet, all the way back to the pitcher. “That looked like a Pitch-Back,” the announcer quipped. I lovedContinue reading “ENDURE. 1 Thessalonians 3:13.”
Category Archives: Discipleship/Spiritual Growth/Disciplines of a Godly Life
IT’S A DOG FIGHT.
The Oklahoma preacher bumped into an old Cherokee gentleman who had recently become a believer: “How’s your Christian faith?” “It’s a battle. There are two dogs inside me fighting all the time.” “Which dog is winning?” “Depends on who I feed the most.” Isn’t that great? You can ‘FEED’ the natures inside you: You canContinue reading “IT’S A DOG FIGHT.”
IF WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE, THEN WHY ARE THERE SO MANY LAWS? Galatians 3:24.
How many laws are there in America? One thousand? Ten thousand? One hundred thousand? The truth is, no one knows. In 2013, a Senior Legal Research Specialist with the Library of Congress wrote that “trying to tally the number” of federal laws “is nearly impossible.” [1] The laws governing life in ancient Israel were alsoContinue reading “IF WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE, THEN WHY ARE THERE SO MANY LAWS? Galatians 3:24.”
INVEST IN YOURSELF BY GROWING YOUR FAITH. James 1:2.
There’s a great old joke that may be new to the youngest among us: A man stops a musician on the sidewalk in New York and asks, “Sir, can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?” The musician answers, “Practice.” How does a runner increase his speed? By practicing. How does a weightContinue reading “INVEST IN YOURSELF BY GROWING YOUR FAITH. James 1:2.”
Kick it Into High Gear. Matthew 17:21.
Vehicles move faster as you switch to higher gears. First gear is slow, but strong enough to tow you up a mountain. Second is a little faster, third faster still, and so on. If you need to go faster, you move to a higher gear. But you know what vehicle has a really high gear?Continue reading “Kick it Into High Gear. Matthew 17:21.”
ARE RUINS IN YOUR FUTURE? Matthew 7:24-26.
I just re-read Matthew 5-7, Jesus’s first recorded sermon, commonly called “The Sermon on the Mount.” There is so much in there! It is as if Jesus packed a year’s worth of sermons into three chapters. Imagine the millions of sermons based on these well-known scriptures. He touches on so many topics: worship, fasting, giving,Continue reading “ARE RUINS IN YOUR FUTURE? Matthew 7:24-26.”
DEDICATION. Luke 6:12.
Jesus was dedicated. But people say, “well, that kind of dedication is fine for Jesus, but not for me”? What if I told you to fast for forty days? I’m pretty sure you would argue His forty-day fast does not apply to you—because He IS Jesus, after all. And I might even agree. Jesus wasContinue reading “DEDICATION. Luke 6:12.”
You Have to Make Time. Luke 6:12
Do you pray and worship and sing to the Lord and read and study and memorize scripture only when you have a problem? Does God only hear from you when something goes wrong? If then? Or do you spend time with Him daily? Do you talk to Him like a friend, sharing your hopes andContinue reading “You Have to Make Time. Luke 6:12”
Blessings Follow Obedience. Matthew 3:15
When Jesus approached John for baptism, John hesitated and said, “How can I baptize you? I need you to baptize me.” And Jesus answered, “Let it be done to fulfill all righteousness.” Matthew 3:15. John baptized Him, and what happened? The heavens opened, the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove and flewContinue reading “Blessings Follow Obedience. Matthew 3:15”
DO YOU HAVE A HIGH BOREDOM TOLERANCE? Nehemiah 8:1-3.
How do you feel about reading aloud? My mind can wander when I listen to a lengthy reading. After all, we are the SHORT ATTENTION SPAN GENERATION, right? We crave fast food, music every second of our lives, TV and movies during every free moment until we hit the pillow late at night. Few thingsContinue reading “DO YOU HAVE A HIGH BOREDOM TOLERANCE? Nehemiah 8:1-3.”
Household Words: 