“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” (John 20:19, ESV) Life sometimes takes unusual twists and turns that cause…
“A dispute also arose among them [the disciples], as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.” (Luke 22:24, ESV) Ambition. Egos. Competition. Power. Pride. It happens. We’ve seen it, but we would hardly expect to find it among the Lord’s disciples, those closest to Him. Yet,…
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17, NKJV) Who doesn’t like to receive gifts? I sure do. It’s fun to be remembered on special occasions—or no…
“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18, ESV) “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” (Proverbs 16:24, ESV) The two proverbs above give a sharp contrast in how our…
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38 ESV) When the multitudes gathered and Jesus began to teach, He spoke of things that related to…
There is a generation that curses its father, and does not bless its mother. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness. There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. There is a…
“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Proverbs 12:26, NKJV) Friends are a funny thing. No two are alike. I have my book-loving friends. We share titles of books and names of authors we enjoy. My food-loving friends and I…
“Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.” Genesis 24:15 In this story, Abraham sent his servant to find…
“Don’t curse the deaf; don’t put a stumbling block in front of the blind; fear your God. I am God.” Leviticus 19:14 MSG According to Dictionary.com, to be conscientious is to be governed by conscience, controlled by or done according to one’s inner sense of what is right; principled. When I…