When you gather together with fellow Christians in order to worship the almighty God, how does that “activity” and “opportunity” affect you? Consider the fact that in worship you are entering into the very presence of God–stepping into His throne room and appearing before Him. Or consider it from another viewpoint–you are standing before the cross of Jesus and watching Him suffer…

When the air conditioner in your home goes out in the middle of summer, it is a major catastrophe and demands immediate attention. But, have you ever taken time to consider those who do not have a/c or cannot afford to run it? When the folks in the drive-thru at the fast food restaurant mess up your order (again), it is a…

Some members of the family are the “bread winners.” Some are the “bargain finders.” Some are the organizers, some are the cleaners, some are the cooks, some are the jack-of-all-trades. But when it comes to the peaceful well-being of your home, what do you bring? Sometimes we think we need to have the nicest of things in our homes and have the…

At the end of a long but exciting vacation, a child said to her mom, “I just want to go home.” A business traveler who had been away for four weeks straight, with only one day at home in the middle, said to his wife, “I just want to go home.”  We’ve all been there. Sometimes it is nice to be away,…

In the midst of a crowd that the Bible says was “thronging Him,” a woman pushed her way through the mob in order that she might simply touch the garment of Jesus. When she touched the hem of His garment, Jesus knew that power had gone out from Him, but He didn’t keep walking. He stopped and talked with the woman. Why…

When I used to drive my girls to school in the morning, we would listen to a chapter of Proverbs on the way each morning. I remember the first couple times we listened to chapter 12 that there were a couple chuckles after the reading of verse one. The girls thought it was funny (and surprising) that the word “stupid” was in…

In Acts 12, Herod Agrippa I (the father of Herod Agrippa II, who was “almost” persuaded to become a Christian in Acts 26:28) “laid violent hands” on some members of the church, “killed James the brother of John,” and “arrested” Peter and “put him in prison” (12:1-3). While Peter was “kept in prison,” “constant” (NKJV) and “earnest” (ESV) “prayer for him was…

Over time, most people change. Some for the better. Some for the worse. As an indication of this, sometimes a statement will be made about another person–“Oh, well, he’s not the same man he used to be!” That could be a negative statement (referring to a person’s failure), but let’s focus on the positive. When someone becomes a Christian, “He’s not the…