In 2004, Josh and Cara told our elders that one reason they got married was because they both had a heart for doing mission work and at some point in the future they wanted to be missionaries.  Little did anyone realize at the time, including Josh and Cara, that the perfect opportunity would begin to present itself just three years later, and…

Sometimes the world looks at Christians and thinks they are missing out on so much, but the reality is that Christians have made the personal choice to become a Christian and live as a Christian because it is the best life on earth and has more blessings and opportunities afforded than any other life (and there’s no comparison).  Think about these things.…

There are many doctrines that have been invented by men and have so permeated “Christian doctrine,” that it is just assumed by many that they are naturally true and are never questioned.  Many of John Calvin’s teachings fall into that category—having been accepted so fully that the truth of Scripture is ignored and thought, in reality, to be secondary. Some Bible readers…

Parenting is not the easiest job on earth.  Raising children in the way they should good—to seek the Lord first in their lives and make godly choices—can be very challenging.  While, in recent decades, technology has drastically changed our world and affected the decisions that parents face, the reality is that the world hasn’t changed all that much—“nothing new under the sun”…

Three times in Matthew 4 Jesus was tempted by Satan, and three times in Matthew 4 Jesus resisted Satan’s pursuits by quoting Scripture—“It is written!” If we have any hope today of successfully thwarting the deceptions of the evil one, we must follow the example of our Savior and commit the Word of God to our minds and our hearts (Psa. 119:11).…

Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).  He was able to resist Satan’s schemes by having the word of God hidden in His heart (Ps. 119:11).  More specifically, it is obvious that Jesus had taken time to memorize Scripture—committing it to His mind so that He would remember it and committing it to His heart…

The Bible reveals that Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).  How was He able to resist Satan’s devices and to keep Himself always well-pleasing to His Father?  From His encounter with the devil in Matthew 4, it is obvious that Jesus had made this commitment to His Father, “Your word I have hidden in…

We were sitting with a group of teenagers at dinner when the text messages started arriving one after another—“Michael Jackson has died.” We verified the reports, then drove back to the building while radio announcers lamented the unexpected death of the King of Pop.  After some time one teen inquired, “Is this what it was like when Elvis died?” Having not lived…