John 2:6-7: “Nearby stood six stone water jars… each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim.” One of Jesus’ most popular miracles is turning water into wine. We like a party, don’t we! And it’s not like it was … Continue reading Disgrace, dignity and wine
devotional
The difference between information and wisdom
Have you heard of data overload? Researchers at the University of Southern California found that the average person in 1986 was exposed to the equivalent of 40 newspapers worth of information each day. By 2006 that number had increased to an equivalent of 174 newspapers a day. And that was way back in 2006! Can … Continue reading The difference between information and wisdom
How do you know you’re on the right track?
How do you know you’re on the right track with your faith? After all, we SAY we believe in Jesus, but are we LIVING like it? When you read through the New Testament, one of the ways you can tell you’re on the right track is if you’re showing evidence of God’s presence in your … Continue reading How do you know you’re on the right track?
He loves you too much to lie to you about hell
Last week I talked about how awesome heaven is. Today I’d like to pause on a much more difficult topic: Hell. Speaking about hell, C.S. Lewis wrote: “There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power.” I don’t like talking about hell either. It … Continue reading He loves you too much to lie to you about hell
Even when we don’t understand
Marshall Shelley tells the story of the birth of his son. When the child was in the womb, he and his wife Susan learned that he had an abnormal heart. This was obviously difficult for them. They were told their baby would probably not survive birth. The child might not even make it to full … Continue reading Even when we don’t understand
A surprising kind of fatigue
Fatigue comes in many different forms. -Not getting enough sleep can leave you tired. -Being stressed can leave you tired. -I think that not eating well or exercising can also leave you tired. But there’s another kind of tired that I want to tell you about. And you definitely don’t need it dragging down your … Continue reading A surprising kind of fatigue
Secrecy strangles
All of us struggle with something. But many of us keep it secret. Some of you struggle with over-spending. Some of you struggle with pornography. Some of you struggle with body image. Some of you struggle with over (or under)-eating. Some of you struggle with addiction. Some of you struggle with gambling. Some of you … Continue reading Secrecy strangles
Dry patches and what to do about them
If you believe in the God of the Bible, you know it’s important to cultivate your relationship with him. But it’s not always easy. Dry patches come and try to expand their real estate in your soul. And you’re not quite sure how to beat them back. If you can relate to this, here’s some advice. … Continue reading Dry patches and what to do about them
“God with skin on”
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard about some massive destruction happening in our world right now. Fires in British Columbia Tropical storm Harvey in the southern U.S. Flooding in Bangladesh, India and Nepal And most recently, Hurricane Irma as it slams the Caribbean, and possibly heads toward Florida There are many reasons to … Continue reading “God with skin on”
The 7-Day No Complaint Challenge
Thou shalt not complain. You’re right. It’s not one of the 10 commandments. But the Bible certainly warns against complaining all the time. I think about the ancient Hebrews complaining to Moses in the wilderness. Or Philippians 2:14-15 (NLT) where Paul says this: “Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize … Continue reading The 7-Day No Complaint Challenge
The Up Devotional 