Series: Application

Apr 25 | Application

Ironically, we don’t find personal fulfillment by making personal fulfillment our primary goal.

April 12, 2021

Apr 18 | Application

You’re not a lunatic if you believe in God and accept the truth of the Bible. These are reasonable positions.

April 5, 2021

Apr 11 | Application

Matthew's dinner companions came from different economic levels, but they shared one thing in common: They were all social outcasts.

March 29, 2021

Apr 4 | Application

Jesus spoke often about his own resurrection, but its full impact didn’t dawn on the disciples until after it happened.

March 22, 2021

Christians can keep our feet on the ground while our eyes are on Heaven. We can be realistic without being cynical, and we can hold onto our ideals without being wild-eyed dreamers. We can live in the “now” while we anticipate the “not yet.”

March 15, 2021

Mar 21 | Application

If you want to be savvy and streetwise, read the book of Proverbs. It’s a jewelry box filled with nuggets of spiritual gold . . . a toolbox full of blue-collar common sense . . . a handbook . . .

March 8, 2021

Mar 14 | Application

David Faust writes: Awe is a stepping-stone toward wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).

March 1, 2021

Mar 7 | Application

My first “minister’s office” was a small corner room. . . . My office contained a gas heater, a rotary phone, and a mimeograph machine I cranked by hand to print the weekly bulletin. One of my weekly tasks was burning trash in a barrel. . . .

February 22, 2021

Feb 28 | Application

By David Faust In August 1960 I had a close encounter with John F. Kennedy. It happened during a family vacation to Washington, D.C. I was 6 years old and JFK was a senator running for president of the United States. Our country was less security conscious then; there was easier access to government leaders. I was standing with my parents and my brothers on the steps outside the Capitol when JFK walked out. I still have a photo that shows one of my older brothers and my dad listening while Senator Kennedy chatted casually with the group standing there.

February 15, 2021

Feb 21 | Application

By David Faust Proverbs 21:23 says, “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” At work, your words can get you promoted—or fired. Your social media posts can build a positive reputation—or haunt you years from now. According to Jesus, your words will either acquit you or condemn you (Matthew 12:37). TONGUE-TIEDVerbal arsonists torch others with words, but if our tongues are tied to the lordship of Christ, we won’t destroy others with gossip and ridicule. As someone observed, at times it would be better to use a glue stick instead of Chapstick. “Without wood a

February 8, 2021

Feb 14 | Application

According to Jesus’ younger brother James, authentic faith impacts our actions and attitudes. Let’s consider how James 2:1-13 applies to us today. Be servants, not snobs. Jesus didn’t focus on others’ looks, popularity, or socioeconomic status. He rubbed shoulders with a rough crowd at dinner parties, engaging in conversation with low-reputation guests. He blessed children others tried to shoo away. He sought out the sick and befriended the despised. Believers in Jesus “must not show favoritism” (James 2:1). Instead, we should recognize and repent of our prejudices. Snobbery is robbery. It robs people of dignity and prevents us from discovering

February 1, 2021

Feb 7 | The 4-H Club

When I was a boy, I joined a 4-H Club. Our local chapter was small. A half-dozen rowdy boys gathered once a month for an after-school meeting led by a local farmer who volunteered his time to sponsor us. We chose club officers, and one year I was elected president of this auspicious group. The major accomplishment of my presidential administration was adopting a resolution that our 4-H Club’s official refreshments would be potato chips and Mountain Dew. (The Pepsi-Cola Company began marketing Mountain Dew nationwide in 1964, and the 4-H Club was the first place I tasted it.) 4-H

January 25, 2021

Jan 31 | Clearing Away the Fog

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount clarifies our vision with regard to prayer, truth, obedience, and others.

January 17, 2021

Jan 24 | Consider the Birds

Jesus didn’t say a sparrow would never fall; he said they never fall without the Father’s awareness (Matthew 10:29). Jesus didn’t promise we would escape all hardship. He said whatever happens, he will be with us.

January 11, 2021

Jan 17 | For Mine Is the Kingdom?

Often I find myself trying to run my own little kingdom—the “kingdom of Dave.” I know that sounds ridiculous, but it won’t sound any better if you substitute your own name in the phrase.

January 4, 2021

Devotionals

Jan 10 | Don’t Stay the Way You Are

When Christ is Lord, the status quo isn’t acceptable and spiritual growth isn’t optional. God accepts us as we are, but he loves us too much to let us stay that way.

December 28, 2020

Jan 3 | Do the Opposite

In an episode of the TV show Seinfeld, Jerry’s friend George sits in the coffee shop bemoaning his bad luck. He says, “My life is the opposite of everything I want it to be. Every instinct I have, in every aspect of life . . . it’s all been wrong.”

December 21, 2020

He’s Got Your Back (Dec. 27 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 27, 2020: Fulfilled through Hope (Matthew 12:1-23) ________ By David Faust Last December 31 when we celebrated the New Year, I told my wife, “2019 has been rough, but I have a good feeling about 2020. It’s going to be a great year!” Clearly, I don’t have the gift of prophecy. The year 2020 brought a global pandemic, racial strife, economic upheaval, and political turmoil. Someone joked that in the future 2020 will become a one-word catchphrase to describe a big mess. When asked, “How was your day?” you can

December 14, 2020

The Day I Visited a King’s Palace (Dec. 20 Lesson Application)

This “Application” column goes with the Bible Lesson for Dec. 20, 2020: Fulfilled through Promise (Matthew 2:1-15) ________ By David Faust While in Israel filming a documentary about the basics of the Christian faith, I visited Herodium, the palatial residence designed for King Herod’s protection and pleasure. By all accounts Herod was paranoid and cruel. He tortured and killed family members, servants, and bodyguards. Ironically, this ruthless ruler who destroyed so many lives was an innovative and prolific builder who oversaw the construction of enormous forts, palaces, water projects, and Jerusalem’s crown jewel, the Jewish temple. Herodium (also known as

December 7, 2020