“We’ve never seen such devastation.” “We just got out with our clothes on our backs.” “We’ve been able to go back to our home. All that’s left are ashes.” You’ve probably heard these and other expressions of grief and shock. With 10% of Oregon’s population in evacuation zones, it’s likely that you know someone […]
Do you remember the popular television program, “Cheers”? The theme song was, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name.” Regulars entered the bar, not to drown their sorrows in drink, but to enjoy some camaraderie with some friends who didn’t try to “fix” all their defects and problems, or shower them with condemnation. Nick Stumbo shares in […]
When I was first saved, I was confused after reading the book of Job. It seemed like Job’s friends had some distorted views of God. Yet, knowing that the Scriptures were inspired, I wasn’t sure if I was to believe everything they said. Now, my understanding of “inspired” convinces me that the conversations in Job […]
At the moment we place our personal faith in Jesus Christ, tremendous things take place. Colossians 3:1-4 identifies four of these truths: I died with Christ I am raised with Christ My life is hidden with Christ in God I will live with Christ in glory These facts are true of every Christ-follower. Therefore, Paul […]
You’ve heard of kids turning 180 degrees away from the values of their parents? Well, this is one of those situations. Hezekiah was a good leader of his country. He began his reign at 25 and was king of Judah for 29 years. But after he died, his son, Manasseh, became king. Manasseh was only […]
Mothers have a tremendous influence in the lives of their children. What kind of adults their children become is not entirely dependent upon their mom, but she plays a huge role in how they turn out. Motherhood is no picnic. It is probably the greatest challenge women face, being a 24/7 commitment. Even when the […]
A very interesting passage of Scripture comes to mind in light of these days. 2 Chronicles 7:13–14 says, “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command LOCUSTS to devour the land or send a PLAGUE among My people, if My people, who are called by My name, will humble […]
Ever tried using a screwdriver to twist a long screw into or out of wood? It’s almost impossible. But with a power tool, it seems effortless. When Karen and I reroofed our house, we pounded every nail with a hammer. Besides hitting our thumbs a number of times, it took us a month. Our neighbors, […]
For people around the world, the Friday before Easter is called Good Friday. I doubt that any of the followers of Christ, watching the brutal torture of Jesus, would have thought, “This is GOOD.” In fact, it was the WORST Friday of their lives. Many followed Jesus because they assumed that He was the long-awaited […]
One of King David’s songs to God that has been handed down to us in our Bibles is Psalm 139. Eugene Peterson has paraphrased some of it this way, “God, I’m an open book to You; even from a distance, You know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; […]