You've heard the lie before: "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." The idea is that words—because they are invisible—cannot hurt us. But we know it isn't true. The put down, the threat, the lie that cuts deeper than a knife. Words can have a negative power. BUT... they … Continue reading Grace notes
inspiration
Giving troubles over
Susanna Wesley lived a few hundred years ago. She gave birth to 19 children. 10 survived infancy. To say she was busy is an understatement. Plus, she had a difficult life—marital troubles, financial hardship, and illness were frequent visitors. And that’s not to mention the pain and difficulty of coping with the death of 9 … Continue reading Giving troubles over
Blame
Blaming. Other. People. It’s easy to do. And to be honest, there are times when other people do in fact need to be called to account for having done something wrong or hurtful. But what I’m talking about today is being quick to notice when OTHER people have done something wrong... but being slow to notice … Continue reading Blame
God finishes what he starts
We were talking in a restaurant on a Thursday afternoon while eating high-calorie French fries. My friend was telling me how down he was feeling about his spiritual progress. He felt he should be further ahead… and that he often struggled with the sin of pride… and that his devotional life always felt like work. … Continue reading God finishes what he starts
The cure for poor I-sight
It’s no secret that our society is highly individualistic. It often seems like everyone’s elbowing for room in a me-first world where there’s only so much happiness, opportunity or money to go around. From a Christian point of view, the problem is that we’re supposed to put God first—not ourselves. Jesus said, “If anyone would … Continue reading The cure for poor I-sight
What is the purpose of life?
A question most people ask at some point in their lives is this: What is the purpose of life? I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but our society seems to have an answer: 'The purpose of life is to be healthy and happy.' That’s certainly what the TV shows, talking heads, radio programs, advertisers, and … Continue reading What is the purpose of life?
Flopping around like a fish
Three friends were walking along the beach and noticed a fish flopping around on the shore. One person wondered if the fish was sad because it didn’t seem to own anything nice. So he bought the fish a gold watch and set it beside him. But nope. It made no difference. It still just flopped around. … Continue reading Flopping around like a fish
At the start, not the end
Many Christians end their prayers something like this: “In Jesus’ name, Amen.” The origins of that practice trace back to a few different Bible passages, but one of them is Jesus’ own words in John 14:14 where he said, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” But just … Continue reading At the start, not the end
Out loud
The more you study prayer—and the more you pray—the more you realize there's a lot to know. It can actually be intimidating. So I came up with a saying to help keep my brain on the right track: Pray consistently, whole-heartedly, and expectantly in Jesus’ name. [I walk through this statement step-by-step in my podcast … Continue reading Out loud
It’s a win-win (With thanks to Billy Graham)
Yesterday we learned that the great preacher Billy Graham passed away at the age of 99. So for today’s devotional, and as a testament to Graham’s own teaching, let me share a story he once told, and which captures something about the hope that was deep within him. There was a 30 year-old truck driver … Continue reading It’s a win-win (With thanks to Billy Graham)
