We expect our friends to be loyal. How would you feel if your closest friend cowardly denied knowing you? Friends who forsake you create some of the deepest scars. For 3 ½ years Peter had been groomed by the Lord to be the leader of the disciples after His death, resurrection, and return to Heaven. […]
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; […]
Have you ever been upset with yourself for giving into temptation … again? Have you ever assumed that if you were just more disciplined, you could be victorious? Feel you need to try harder or be more regimented to keep your routines? How many times have you heard it said that if you want […]
When I was in high school (a long time ago), our sports rival was a town twenty miles to the north, just over the border between California and Oregon. The Bible also speaks of rivals, but not of towns and sports teams. These two rivals are each vying for your heart, kind of like politicians […]
Ever felt like you’ve sinned too much? Feel too ashamed to face God again and confess the same sin one more time? Think He’s tired of hearing you, rolling His eyes and doubting that you really mean it since you keep repeating the same sin? Feel like giving up? Let me share three verses and […]
If by sovereign you mean that God is above everything else, with no one having authority over Him, then yes. If by sovereign you mean that God decrees, or decides, everything that happens, then NO. God is not to blame for murders, rapes, human trafficking. He is not to blame for bribery or lies or […]
When you go back to the moment our first parents, Adam & Eve, disobeyed God and sinned, Genesis 3:21 records God’s gracious response. “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” Did you notice? The animal had to give up its life in order for its skin to […]
There are a lot of ideas floating around as to the nature of God. Some descriptions sound like a grandfatherly teddy bear; others, a drill sergeant. Some believe He determines everything that happens, good and bad, while others accuse Him of not caring what happens. Many people believe in multiple gods, but others aren’t sure […]
Moses plays a huge role in the early pages of the Bible. He courageously confronted Pharaoh when Israel was under bondage in Egypt. He was the leader of the children of Israel as they traveled through the wilderness for forty years. He had a special relationship with God, such that God spoke to him face-to-face, […]