A man was in a nursing home. He wasn’t having a good day. He was feeling low and disheveled. One of the nurses noticed. So she brought him a comb so that he would feel better. It did. Yes, he was able to brush his hair. But even more than that, he knew that someone … Continue reading Seize kingdom moments
Making someone look dumb or bad
Every day we are exposed to countless arguments. We witness them on the news, online, and sometimes in our own homes. I’ve noticed a pattern. A lot of people try to belittle someone else’s viewpoint to make their own sound superior. There are two simple steps in this process. Step one: Oversimplify someone’s viewpoint to … Continue reading Making someone look dumb or bad
Whoever is kind to the needy
In the ancient world, being poor was an incredibly desperate situation. If you didn’t have family to take you in, you were basically thrown into a world of hunger, begging, stereotypes, ridicule, slave labour, prostitution or violence. Christians or Jews often came into the picture and provided much-needed help. But beyond that, you were basically … Continue reading Whoever is kind to the needy
Supersizing the wrong things
In the previous devotional we talked about simplicity of lifestyle and how it can keep you focussed on what matters most. Today, let’s continue with that same theme. To be clear, what matters most is God. If we fail to appreciate that, the mixed-up culture around us will also mix-up our priority list. Kevin Myers … Continue reading Supersizing the wrong things
Simplicity of lifestyle
Proverbs 15:16 says: “Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.” Here is what it means. It is better to live simply faithfully, than to have a lot of money and constant trouble. There were some couples in Georgia who were talking about when they were the most happy … Continue reading Simplicity of lifestyle
Barrenness of soul
“I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish” (Ezekiel 17:24). Generally speaking, we do not like hardship. We try to avoid it. But if we’re being honest, I think that most of us can look back on certain hardships from our past and see how some good was able to come … Continue reading Barrenness of soul
Your light and the coming dark
Jesus is going to come back. He said that he would. The early church said that he would. Christians have looked forward to this powerful day ever since. There are two unhealthy extremes when it comes to this topic. One is to never think about it, or to downplay it. The other is to obsess … Continue reading Your light and the coming dark
Brothers and sisters
A soldier was in Nagasaki, a long way from home. On Sunday morning he saw what looked like a church. He went inside. There were about twenty people there. The soldier wasn’t sure how it was going to go since he only knew one word: brother. But that’s the word he heard: “Brother.” As you … Continue reading Brothers and sisters
Right and almost right
When it comes to journeying through life—and to making decisions in general—discernment is important. It involves sifting through information, figuring out right from wrong, and going forward based on what you’ve discovered. If someone is “discerning,” it usually means that they are deliberate and proactive about their choices. When Solomon prayed to God to be … Continue reading Right and almost right
Being FOR things
“Be devoted to one another in love” (Romans 12:10). Let me start by asking you a question. Would you rather be known for what you’re FOR, or what you’re AGAINST? In other words, would you rather be known for beliefs, causes or issues that you are FOR, or would you rather be known for beliefs, … Continue reading Being FOR things
