perfect parents
I don’t know what else I can do!” my exasperated friend sulked. “I set high standards for my kids and hold them accountable for their actions, and all they do is hate me. What did I do to deserve this?” He noted how he has always been “hard” (his word) on his son so that he would do great things.…
you choose Q: "how can you help someone understand the Trinity?"
Q: How do you help someone understand the Trinity without using the same pat answers? It’s not found in the Bible. I know there are Scriptures that talk about the Three-In-One, but they have not convinced the people I am talking to. —Terri
A: The word “Trinity” means “Tri-unity” or “three-in-oneness.” In one sense, the doctrine of the Trinity is…
the heart of the Father
John 17:1-3: Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so He can give glory back to You. For you have given Him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one You have given Him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know You, the only true God, and…
end of the world?
If the premise of the movie 2012 is correct, then we have less than 12 months to live. Our world will come to a catastrophic end on December 21 of this year—the day when the ancient Mayan calendar officially expires. Yeah, right . . .
Christians in every generation have believed that Jesus would come back in their lifetime because they…
through the Son
Paul Borthwick was boarding a plane when he saw former US President Gerald Ford being escorted by two dark-suited men. Paul wanted to meet him, but he wondered: “Why would he want to meet me?” Then he recalled having met Ford’s son Mike, when he was in seminary. So he boldly approached the former world leader just before the Secret…
a Christmas prayer for you
Luke 1:30-38 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name Him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David. And He…
signature
Some people develop “catch phrases” that crystallize what matters to them. A news anchor ends every telecast with “And that’s the way it was” to remind viewers that he delivers the important facts of each day. A financial counselor on the radio answers a listener’s question of “How are you?” with “Better than I deserve”—focusing attention on the unmerited grace…
the privilege of children
Erik Hatzinger confessed to stealing money from several businesses over many months. He seems to be repentant, for when the judge ordered him to pay $13,000 in restitution, Erik informed the judge that he had stolen more and would like to pay it all back.
“That’s the son I raised,” his mother told a reporter. “I’m not surprised he wanted…
His dream for us
It’s amazing what you could actually end up doing as you allow the Lord to equip and train you. For sure, His plan is perfect and His dream for us is big. God uses ordinary people and equips them for His extraordinary tasks.
Just think about it:
An orphan was adopted by a missionary couple. And from the cold region…
knowing the Father
John 1:15-18: John testified about Him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the One I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for He existed long before me.’” From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses,…
the real Jesus
In 2001, the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen presented an investigation into the historical Jesus. He said, “The important thing is not what He was or what He wasn’t—the important thing is what people believe Him to have been.” The apostle John would disagree. He intimated that the testimony about who Jesus really is, not what people believed Him to have been,…
you are loved
A counselor was conducting a family therapy session with the parents of a teenager who had been caught using drugs. The parents excused their daughter’s drug use, saying that it was no big deal and just a phase that most teenagers go through. After a while the counselor told the parents to leave the room and, turning to the daughter,…
spirit of adoption
Romans 8:14-17: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s…
starry night
When poet, lecturer, and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson was asked what people would do if the stars came out only once every thousand years, he replied, “If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years, how man would marvel and stare.”
Building on Emerson’s response, author Paul Hawkins, in a commencement speech to the Portland University Class of…
the xy factor
Strategy games have never been my desire on game night. I remember the first time my husband taught me how to play RISK. Being a strong melancholy woman, I was devastated when after 2 hours of playing I had only a handful of soldiers to show for my efforts. In contrast, my husband had amassed a huge army—wiping me off…
