“On pay day, we’re going to spend a portion of the money on that vacation we’ve been planning for years. No more waiting. We’re doing it.” “No dear, we’re not. We’re going to give that portion to the church. We’ve already talked about this, and I’ve decided this is what ...

I was lying in bed with my daughter, then nine years old, while praying for her at bedtime.  It had been a rather harrowing day and she had gotten the brunt of my frustration in a way that now seemed extremely harsh.  I sensed there was a problem because she ...

Everyone needs hope.  Without hope, despair and darkness settle in wreaking destruction in lives.  Without hope, there is no vision, no goal, no energy…and eventually, no life.  For believers in Christ, the treasure of hope rests in us for Jesus is the ‘Hope of Glory’!  We are to be the ...

“Father sat down on the edge of the narrow bed. “Corrie,” he began gently, “when you and I go to Amsterdam-when do I give you your ticket?” I sniffed a few times, considering this. “Why, just before we get on the train.” “Exactly, and our wise Father in heaven knows ...

‘Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.’ Psalm 34:3 (NIV) Our children’s department at church just finished their yearly Vacation Bible School last week.  As usual, it was a resounding success.  Lots of kids attended, the church membership worked hard, and there were some who were ...

In response to an alarming increase in heroin use in our county this past year, the local school board voted to implement a random drug testing policy. On the first day of school, the athletes were summoned to the gymnasium where they were informed that a policy proposal would be ...

“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:1-2 NKJV). The seventeenth chapter of Matthew ...

The new marriage crisis  Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:1 According to ...

Water Baptism: Why It’s A Good Idea By Joel B. Friends, let’s take a minute to talk about the important matter of water baptism. I’m not here to argue with anyone about whether or not you have to be baptized to be saved or if babies should be sprinkled with ...

So the lengthy process of grieving is in full swing. There’s the crying, self-denial, burst of anger, self-blame, depression, and withdrawal from friends and family. Now what? Though it is natural to grieve, it’s also natural to move forward past grieving. There is no universal grieving period, but you can ...