Thursday, August 4, 2011
Affectionately known by many simply as “J.B.”, James Brown is a well-respected sports broadcaster and journalist. He’s the host of CBS’ “The NFL Today” and Showtime’s “Inside the NFL.” But most importantly, James is a man who loves Jesus Christ and his family, and faithfully seeks to show God’s love and grace to others. He’s […]
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Friends –– truly great friends –– are hard to come by. They’re rare and precious jewels to be treasured. While everybody longs for great friends, few think about being one. How different our lives and our world would be if we simply made the shift from “having to being!” The Bible gives us some wonderful […]
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
What’s burning in you? I’m talking about passion. Passion is an important part of life, and a commonly misunderstood concept. It’s often mistaken as something only associated with romance or with someone’s strong feelings. Actually passion is all about deep dedication and devotion. It’s about rock solid commitment to something or someone. It’s a kind […]
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Sometimes life delivers us losses we don’t like or didn’t expect. All of us go through experiences, and perhaps extended seasons, when people or things are taken from us. It could be the death of loved ones, the termination of a job, the relocation of a great friend, transitions in relationships, a child going off […]
Monday, July 18, 2011
We all have them, and we usually detest them. They frustrate us, discourage us, and sometimes drive us to our knees in desperate prayer. I’m talking about weaknesses. A weakness is the absence of some positive quality in an object or person; something that is lacking or deficient. In people, it can be a character […]
Friday, July 15, 2011
Summer is passing quickly. Before we know it, school will be back in session and we’ll soon be occupied with the busyness of Fall. What we do with the next few weeks can prepare us for the days ahead. If we invest ourselves in spiritual growth this summer, we can gain much needed spiritual strength […]
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Have you ever been asked to watch over something that belonged to someone else? Maybe you were asked to check on a friend’s home or take care of their pet while they were on vacation. Perhaps you were handed a valuable possession –– a wallet, purse or piece of jewelry –– to keep safe for […]
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
What is one of the most common and successful tactics of the devil against Christians? While Satan uses a variety of methods, means and strategies to hamstring and sidetrack believers, one of his favorite and most frequent tricks and traps is an offense. If Satan can cause us to become offended, angry, resentful, judgmental or […]
Sunday, July 3, 2011
As we celebrate Independence Day, I am grateful for the United States of America. I appreciate the values that have undergirded our nation for many years, and the freedom these values have secured. God has certainly poured out His goodness and blessings on us in many ways. As we head into the future, we have […]
Monday, June 27, 2011
How maintenance-minded are you? Maintenance is something that is often avoided. The life objective of many is “low-maintenance living.” We like low maintenance cars, low maintenance homes, low maintenance jobs, low maintenance people and low maintenance relationships. The less upkeep the better! Maintenance is actually a very important activity. To “maintain” something is “to preserve […]
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sometimes the greatest breakthroughs and blessings in life come from the simplest changes. A positive change in an attitude, a tone of voice, a look, a perspective, or a habit can transform us and the environment around us. This is certainly true when it comes to our words. What we say in the face of […]
Monday, June 6, 2011
When was the last time you had a conflict with someone? Maybe you are in the middle of one now. Marriages, families and friendships are frequently damaged, and sometimes destroyed by unhealed hurts, anger and resentment. For relationships to succeed, we must learn how to keep disagreements from turning into destructive strife and division. One […]
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
When was the last time you were lost? In this age of GPS, lostness is not as common as it used to be. Recently I was driving to an unfamiliar location. I put the address information into the navigation app on my phone and headed out in confidence that I would get where I needed […]
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Every marriage and family has moments of stress and tension. Personality differences, the pressures of life, along with disappointed expectations and poor communication all make relationships challenging and painful at times. Strained relationships take their toll. The result can be a growing emotional distance and, potentially, significant distrust, disharmony and division. But this doesn’t have […]
Monday, May 23, 2011
Do you know someone who is lazy? Laziness is a fairly common ailment. If we’re honest, most of us struggle with this mood from time to time; some more than others. While occasional bouts of laziness are normal, a lifestyle of laziness can be very destructive. There’s a great Bible passage that addresses laziness and […]
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Most folks have heard the old adage, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” While there’s a mountain of inspiration in this statement calling us to grow determination and dedication in difficulties, there’s another lesson tough times should teach us. Tough times can also make us tender. We might say it this way, […]