So, how thankful are you? How often do you say, “Thank you”? The New Testament gives great emphasisto the need for Christians to be thankful. And, shouldn’t we? “Let the peace of God rule  in your hearts…and be thankful” (Col. 3:15). “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God” (1 Thess. 5:18). “Giving thanks always for all things” (Eph. 5:20).…

Peter describes heaven as an inheritance for children of God–an inheritance that is “incorruptible and undefiled and fades not away” (1 Pet. 1:4). Then, to affirm its absolute assurance, he tells us these three things about this promise. First, the inheritance is “reserved.” The inheritance isn’t going anywhere! It is being guarded, kept and preserved in heaven for God’s heirs. How certain…

Have you ever wondered why God gives us all the little details in some Bible stories? Why do we know that it was “a fresh jawbone of a donkey”  that Samson used to kill 1,000 men? Why are we told that David used a sling and a smooth stone from the brook to bring down Goliath? Why does God tell us that…

There are those tough choices that we face in life that are better made WITH God than WITHOUT God (i.e., praying for wisdom and guidance  through the decision process). Then, there is a different type of choice that we face in life which involves the temptation to sin against God. This is not a matter of choosing between Option A and Option…

Every day we are faced with choices. Some of them are big; some of them are small. Many choices we face are not matters of right or wrong (choosing whether we give into sin or not), but they are life decisions that determine the course of our day, our year or even our life. Rather than make these choices on our own,…

As equally as we are commanded to behold and consider the “goodness of God,” we are likewise directed to behold and consider the “severity of God.” “Severity” involves being strict or stern in judgment or requirement. An unbalanced view of God would be to focus solely on His severity; equally unbalanced would be to focus solely on His goodness. Balance requires both!…

We are commanded in Romans 11:22 to “behold” (NASB), “consider” (NKJV), “note” (ESV) the “goodness of God.” So, in just a few lines, let’s see how much we can behold.  The very nature of God is “good” (Psa. 25:8; 34:8; 100:5; 118:1). He “is good” and He “does good” (Psa. 119:68; Acts 14:17). There is “no one good but God” (Matt. 19:17).…

It is estimated (by some) that one in seven Americans suffers from depression. Depression has been called “the common cold of mental illnesses.” While I don’t want to over-emphasize or minimize the condition, here are some thoughts from Scripture.   The word “depression” appears only once in the Bible (and that in the NKJV) — “Anxiety in the heart of man causes…