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The Day of the Lord Is Near

Called. Beloved. Kept.

Starter

How Thankful Am I?

Foolish Christians

How Are You Living?

Take a Hike!

The Days Are Coming

Faint for Thirst

Everyday Jane

Three Touchdown Lead

Grown Old but Not Grown Up

Not Without a Fight!

Parenting is hard work. It's not always fun. At the age of 63, three of my best friends are my daughters. While they were growing up, however, I often had

The Lion Has Roared

Recently, I was sitting with a friend in a surgery waiting area. As we talked, the fire alarm sounded. Several hospital employees happened to be walking by

To Whom Much Is Given

In Amos 1, the prophet had reiterated God's judgment against the peoples around Judah:

The Loneliest Guy in Town

"The loneliest guy in town." That was the byline of a series of Maytag commercials, bemoaning the fact that their repairmen had little to do! But Maytag re

They Took the Money

The guards at the tomb had been eyewitnesses of the resurrection, but greed overpowered their honor. Avarice silenced their integrity. Selfishness outweigh

Remorse or Repentance?

Judas came to realize that he had “sinned by betraying innocent blood.” Filled with remorse (but not repentance), Judas tried to wash his hands of the matt

Willing Spirit and Weak Flesh

Have you ever bragged like Peter when he said, "I will not deny you!"? Did your subsequent actions support your claim - whatever it was?

Resources

Matthew 25 is one of my favorites in all the Bible. It contains three stories that urge us to be ready for Christ's return. God provides the oil (Holy Spir

Keep Watch

One morning just a few weeks ago, Lana and I arose with great anticipation. Our kids were coming to Johns Island! We made our final preparations and began

Really?

Webster defines hypocrite as, “a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion.” We all know hypocrites, don't we? They say the right words,

Whose Likeness?

There is something satisfying in a story where the haughty, self-righteous person is humbled and put in his place. Some conceited Pharisees and Herodians c

Sore Displeased

The blind. The lame. Children. These people were praising Jesus while the chief priests and scribes were indignant. Throughout the Old Testament, priests h

Don't Leave the Ice Cream Inside the Freezer!

When I was a youngster, I was in the habit of answering questions: “I don’t care.” I remember once when I was visiting my uncle, he stood in front of the o

First Among Many Firsts

A very wealthy and influential man came to Jesus seeking spiritual peace, but he wanted it on his own terms. Jesus did not mince words when he told the you

A Gift from God

Though Jesus had a keen interest in children, he was swimming against the current. In his day, children – while a blessing from the Lord – were not seen to

Mustard Seeds and Mountains

I once heard a story about a little girl who lived by the ocean. She could see the sea when she walked out her front door and just loved to sit and watch t

Who Do You Say I Am?

Just a few days ago, I found myself in a familiar situation - standing with a family in a pre-op room. We had prayed and "transport" was in the room to rol

May the Words of My Mouth...

Jesus is very concerned about the words that come out of our mouths. The Psalmist was, too: "May the words of my mouth ... be acceptable in your sight, O L

Make Prayer a Priority

Someone once told me, "People who come to church on Sunday morning love the pastor. Those who come back on Sunday night love the church. Those who come to

Active Pursuit

In the above verses, Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven as both a hidden treasure and a pearl. Can you imagine how you would feel if you found a treasur

Oh Deer!

Mom and Dad were driving home one night when they hit a deer. Dad, an avid hunter and quick thinker, brought the deer home in the back of our van in order

Get it?

My friend bragged to me that he had a PHD. "You do?" I asked somewhat skeptically. "Yep!" he said, "a Post Hole Digger!" Get it? (Sorry. I should have give

As You Tell the Story

My friend, Matt, was golfing with his ten-year-old son at the local course. As Matt tells the story, he got a hole in one! He only had one witness, and he

I've Just Got to Tell Someone!

When Jesus healed two blind men, he wanted them to keep it to themselves. Instead, they told everybody they knew about it. What happened to them that they

Marvel

An officer in the Roman army knew authority from personal experience. In this centurion's encounter with Jesus, we see that he recognized authority in Jesu

Don't Get Tricked!

There are a lot of ways to get things wrong:

Give, Pray, Fast

Jesus told us not to put our religious acts on display so that others may see them. He gave three specific examples:

Eternity at Stake

"Those who are courageous enough to say the emperor is naked are maligned as hateful bigots." I can't remember where I read those words, but they are true.

Don't Jump!

Martin Luther once said, “You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”

Fruits of Repentance

What are the fruits of repentance? It varies with each individual, since each of us must repent over different things. In Luke’s account of this event, Joh

Dream On!

Three times in Matthew 2, and once in chapter 1, we read how God communicated to Joseph in dreams.

A List of Names

A list of names? What inspiration can I hope to find in a directory? Yet, that is just what the Lord inspired Matthew to write. The very first words of the