1 Peter 1:9-12 reads, “10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they we...  Read More

1 Peter 1:8 says, “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” He's not really just talking about persecution. He could have used a different word for that. He's really talking about general trials, general tests, and general struggles. Persecution is certainly a part of that. Peter is writing to believers who ...  Read More

There are several different philosophies that people have when difficulties come. One philosophy is to deny its existence. At times, you can turn on Christian television and see this promoted. This idea is that if you're a Christian, you're never going to have to go through any down days. You're never going to have to go through any difficulties. The Bible does not teach that.Paul describes that h...  Read More

Isaiah 64:8 says, “But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 45:9 says, “…Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ …” Jeremiah 18:6 says, "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel....  Read More

Sometimes we may think that we are holding onto God, but in reality, God is holding onto us.A man and his son were preparing to cross the street. Although there was some traffic, it wasn't too heavy. The father told the son to hold his hand. The little boy wrapped his chubby little fingers around one of his father’s fingers. As they began walking, the traffic started to get more intense. The fathe...  Read More

I appreciate restaurants that give you the option of making reservations. It keeps you from waiting for a long time to be seated. I've been to a couple of concerts and a couple of ball games where I had to have a ticket to get a seat. That ticket was a reservation for me. It didn't matter how packed everything was. It didn't matter how many people were thronging into the building. I had a ticket. ...  Read More

Pulitzer Prize winner, Joseph Hallinan, wrote an article on hope, in which he shared research done in the 1950s by Kurt Richter, professor at Johns Hopkins University. He wrote:In the 1950s, he conducted a gruesome experiment with domesticated and wild rats. He first took a dozen domesticated rats, put them into jars half-filled with water, and watched them drown. The idea was to measure the amoun...  Read More

Jay Wallace Hamilton once said, “When there’s no hope for the future, there’s no power in the present.” When we don't have something that we're longing for, or looking forward to, or seeing something that will change for the better, we don't have the power to make it today. The great need for today is hope. Robert Morgan once wrote,In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl tells of his ...  Read More

Social media is often praised for its ability to connect people, but it also comes with its own set of dangers. Despite the fact that we identify with each other in social communities, we often become confined to our own little groups and aren't exposed to different perspectives. In 2017, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the potential of social media to bring people together during a s...  Read More

I remember when Lydia and I were planning on getting married, and friends and family members were going to throw a bridal shower for Lydia. I had not gone to any bridal showers that I was aware of, and I was kind of indignant that I was being left out. I said, "Hey, why am I not invited? I'm getting married too. This shouldn't be a bridal shower. This should be a wedding shower, and it should be b...  Read More

I like what Charles Spurgeon once said, "When we get to heaven, over the gates it will say ‘whosoever will may come,' and upon entering, we will see inscribed on the backside, 'elect before the foundation of the world'." There is a mystery to our salvation - we have been chosen by God, and then we have said "yes" to Him, but our salvation was initiated by Jesus Christ and God the Father pursuing us into a relationship with Himself. This should bring comfort. You belong in His family. Your salvation is not based on you, it is based on God.  Read More

During the Superbowl a week and a half ago, advertisers spent $7 million dollars to place their 30-second ad in front of the viewers. There was one ad campaign that has generated some talk called “He Gets Us.” They spent $14 million dollars on a 1-minute ad during the Superbowl with a punchline that said, “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet.” It was met with mixed reviews. Many evangelical Ch...  Read More