January 30, 2023
February 5 | Application (‘Keys to Courage’)
Fear seems more common than faith these days. . . . But over the course of my life, my best decisions have been the times when I chose to walk by faith, not by sight.
Series: Application
January 23, 2023
January 29 | Application (‘What Makes You Different?’)
The Israelites were supposed to be a holy people, distinct from others who lived around them. No work on the Sabbath day. No graven images. . . . God wanted more than surface obedience, though. He said, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts” (Deuteronomy 6:6). . . .
January 16, 2023
January 22 | Application (‘Give It Up’)
Why isn’t fasting more common in the American church? The Bible mentions it at least 60 times. Moses and Jesus both fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Exodus 34:28; Matthew 4:2). Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther fasted. So did David, John the Baptist, and Paul. . . .
January 9, 2023
January 15 | Application (‘Traveling on a Rough Road’)
The book of Ezra tells how a group of exiled Jews traveled back to Jerusalem to rebuild God’s temple, but it wasn’t a smooth and easy journey. Their story reveals some principles that can help us travel rough roads of our own.
January 2, 2023
January 8 | Application (‘Celebrate the Wins’)
In life, as in sports, it’s important to stop and give thanks when things go well. Before we rush ahead and move on to the next event or activity, we should pause and celebrate the wins. . . .
December 26, 2022
January 1 | Application (‘Trusting God in the New Year’)
As another new year begins, it’s good to remember that the Lord is the Master Craftsman. He’s an expert at making things new. He knows how to take our lives apart and put them back together again.
December 19, 2022
December 25 | Application (‘What the Mysterious Magi Can Teach Us About Faith’)
We don’t know about much about the mysterious Magi, but they help to illustrate what it means to live by faith.
December 12, 2022
December 18 | Application (Caring for ‘the Least of These’)
In Matthew 25, Jesus compares himself to a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats. This Scripture passage teaches important truths about the Lord, and it has practical implications for us.
December 5, 2022
December 11 | Application (‘You’re Not Too Small—or Too Big—to Trust in God’)
Science can take us only so far. The more we learn about the universe, the humbler we should become.
November 28, 2022
December 4 | Application (‘Something Is Missing’)
Do you ever feel like you’re missing something? While driving away from home, do you wonder if you left the lights on or forgot to lock the door? While preparing a meal, have you ever omitted an important part of the recipe? Matthew 9:36-38 mentions several missing ingredients. . . .
November 21, 2022
November 27 | Application (‘Learning About Worship from an Old Songbook’)
In biblical times, Jewish boys and girls soaked up the music they heard in the temple. Their families used an old songbook that’s still in print today: the book of Psalms.
November 14, 2022
November 20 | Application (‘The Strangest Verse in the 23rd Psalm’)
"One part of the 23rd Psalm puzzles me," David Faust writes. "It’s the verse that says, 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies' (Psalm 23:5a). Who wants to sit at a table surrounded by enemies?"
November 7, 2022
November 13 | Application (‘Learning the Art of One-Downmanship’)
Do you ever try to one-up someone and make yourself feel superior? Have you ever engaged in a competitive conversation where, instead of listening well, everyone tried to outdo each other by telling more impressive stories of their own?
October 31, 2022
November 6 | Application (‘Seeking God’)
The pursuit of happiness moves us to seek comfort and convenience, treasure and pleasure, recognition and admiration. But how intense is our desire to know God?
October 24, 2022
October 30 | Application (‘Lift Up Your Voice and Sing!)
If a song pulls my stubborn heart closer to the Lord, I don’t care if it’s old or new. If its words are consistent with Scripture and it has a singable tune, I can use it to praise the Lord. . . .
October 17, 2022
October 23 | Application (‘Hidden in Your Heart’)
The psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11)? Why hide God’s Word at all? Shouldn’t we go public and share it every chance we get? . . .
October 10, 2022
October 16 | Application (‘Why Is Confession So Difficult?’)
For many of us, though, confession is the most difficult kind of prayer. Why is it so difficult? Here are four reasons . . .
October 3, 2022
October 9 | Application (‘Surviving a Spiritual Drought’)
What will be your survival strategy when you face a spiritual drought? How can you hydrate a dried-up soul? Psalm 42 offers help. . . .
September 26, 2022
October 2 | Application (‘Giving You a Piece of My Mind’)
If you think about things like food, frustrations, family, finances, and the future, you are not alone. It’s natural and necessary to ponder subjects like these. But let’s not forget about faith!
September 19, 2022
September 25 | Application (‘Finally!’)
Before leaving on the mission trip, Candy and I wrote a list of goals: “Trust God. Love well. Encourage others. . . .” We should have added another goal: “Watch for what God teaches in unexpected ways.”
