YOU WERE DEAD IN YOUR TRESPASSES AND SINS, IN WHICH YOU FORMERLY WALKED ACCORDING TO THE COURSE OF THIS WORLD, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR.…
David and Jonathan, son of King Saul, formed a deep bond of friendship despite the attempts of a raging father to destroy David. Their friendship is legendary. The protection of…
Why would a perfect God create us with free-will? Surely He would have known we would turn our wills against Him. Wouldn’t it have been easier to make us…
Dear Roger, I am 62 years old and facing retirement. I’ve tried to carefully manage my funds with Social Security, IRAs, mutual funds, savings, and some investments in the stock…
“Providence” is a word we use frequently in talking about God, but we may not have thought deeply about what it means. Theologian Timothy George defines it as “God’s faithful…
There is something so beautiful about His Promise of Divine Protection… something that settles every fear and chases away every doubt. For as long as I can remember I have…
God loves you. God is good, God does good, and God is always working all things for our good—even through all the unexpected events (Romans 8:28). He doesn’t cause bad…
Discouragement creeps up on the best of us. It’s lurking in the corners of a promotion. It’s hiding in the shadows of being passed over. It’s slinking through the bends…
I love the early mornings, surrounded by quietness and peace. A time when I can spend some special uninterrupted moments with the Lord. During this time I can always expect…
I always love how the Holy Spirit gently nudges when He has something to share… Upon returning home from the magnificent Southern Rocky Mountains, there was something that resonated deep within…
Dear Roger, Does God ever change His mind? And if He does, how can I change His mind? Sincerely, Samantha Dear Samantha, Yes, of course! One evening in my Bible…
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12 (KJV) Most Christians set out in their new life…
As I greeted the day with a smile on my face, thinking about His goodness and faithfulness throughout the years, I could not wait to spend some much needed time…
GOD’S PROTECTION! Because of man’s sin and the subsequent curse that poisoned the perfection of God’s creation, the world is often a dangerous place. People suffer every day from natural disasters,…
Have you ever had a life verse? God can give you a clear direction for your life as you study His Word! I am in a local women’s Bible…
Who is in the driver’s seat? Who is the master of your life? Jesus says you have a driver’s seat. It will shape your decisions and reactions in life. John Ortberg speaks…
Luke 15:11-32; Genesis 2-3 Aloneness reaches deep into the inner recesses of the human heart. No one likes to be alone. I was flying recently to Orlando: girl on airplane:…
I’ve missed more annual well-checks to the doctor than I’ve made. It seems like a waste of time to tell the doctor that I’m not experiencing any physical difficulties, have…
The search for purpose can lead you to some unexpected places. Learn to embrace the moment in time God has placed you in: you’re there for a reason. www.lifechurch.tv/open. Used…
Do you ever wish you knew how to make decisions that would help you reach your goals? What if becoming the person you want to be starts before you make…
We live at the intersection of two theologies, two realities. The faithfulness of God is pursuing from the past—SO FAR SO GOD. And the sovereignty of God is setting us…
When you read Genesis in entirety, you see what a master stroke God is doing, very deliberately, to repeat these stories. They tell us something very important, they tell us…
Dear Roger, Please help me understand God’s purpose for my life. It seems that all of us at one time or another ask the question, “Why am I here?” When…
Augustine said, “By hearing Thee I am happy; because of Thy voice I am happy.” There’s no place we can go to hear God speak authoritatively, to hear His voice…
If we recognize God’s sovereignty even over Satan’s work, it changes our perspective about our lives and suffering. Satan and God intend the same suffering for entirely different purposes, but…
Dear Roger, Please help me understand God’s purpose for my life. It seems that all of us at one time or another ask the question, “Why am I here?”…
It’s been said that our decisions and responses determine our destiny. As we explore the rise of David and the sad demise of King Saul, we’ll see why one of…
Throughout the Bible, God consistently leads His people in one direction: “Press on…look ahead…forget what lies behind…REACH FORWARD to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:12-14). Just as the Apostle Paul challenged the…
Galatians 5:22 IT’S QUIET. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day…
KNOWING GOD FROM THE INSIDE OUT Ephesians 1:15-19; 3:14-19; Colossians 1:9-12 Imagine before we had the Bible, how would we know what God is like. Imagine you lived on…
Dear Roger, I am really enjoyed reading through the book of Proverbs. I was wondering if you could summarize what you consider to be the most practical teaching from the…
Introduction Few people in history had as much to lose as Job had. He was enormously successful, vastly wealthy, blessed with a large family and he was known for his…
Getting The Lay of The Land “The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel…and the…
So… you’ve been dating for a while, and you’re thinking: “Yeah, this is the one.” That’s great, but are you ignoring any red flags, those important things you can’t accept?…
One of the reasons we minimize being on the wrong path is we say to ourselves, “It won’t happen to me.” We think, I’m in control. I know better. I’m not…
Introduction Believers should seek to get spiritual clarity through prayer as they listen for God to speak to them. Because of spiritual warfare, we should prioritize our need to hear…
Before I entered full-time “paid” vocational ministry I worked in the financial industry. My job was challenging, and presented problem solving opportunities each week. Our division was situated in the…
Disciples—insiders with Jesus—are those who do the will of God. For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother. Mark 3:35 This pericope opens…
The life-journey of discipleship, the beginning of the establishment of God’s kingdom, involves suffering. And passing by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon,…
We think forwards, but God is working backwards. God begins with the end in mind. Occasionally, he pulls back the curtain of time and reveals His plans and His purposes…
Sometimes life happens faster than we can run our race. We can’t control everything that happens to us or around us. We can’t control the decisions others make that deeply affect…
Many news outlets report the increasing military strength of the Taliban and a repeat of the terrorist attack that shocked America. John MacArthur gives advice on how to respond to…
As the fullness and body of Christ, the church manifests God’s incomparable power against supernatural foes. Ephesians 1:15-23 This section is essentially a prayer by Paul. He asks that the…
God who blesses his people, redeeming them for his grand plan to consummate all things in Christ, is worthy of being blessed. Ephesians 1:1-14 This opening section of the book…
The chilly morning was full of promise. Listening to a bubbling creek, I watched curious ground squirrels scampering near my seat. When a single red-tailed hawk began making lazy circles…
Nestled slyly in Queen Creek Canyon, under a canopy of towering trees, lies one of the oldest arboretums in the western United States, Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Hiking trails, carefully designed…
Introduction Believers should seek to get spiritual clarity through prayer as they listen for God to speak to them. Because of spiritual warfare, we should prioritize our need to hear…
If there is a being up in heaven right now that spoke the world into existence.. If there really is a creator, then why would I value my own opinion…
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!” Psalm 57:7 (ESV) I trust God. Until I don’t. That doesn’t feel like a…
God has big plans for you. He plants dreams in your heart—and they can bloom when the soil is fertile. Set your sights on what’s ahead and prepare your soul to…
When it comes to major life decisions, we all need to bring it humbly before the Lord and trust His guidance. In this week’s episode, Kirby dives into the importance…
On October 2, 2020 I became a widow. My husband Gary’s death was not unexpected. For almost 17 months my husband had suffered a slow decline due to a…
Moore says, “The courage to stand is the courage to be crucified.” Indeed, Jesus sets the tone for this book. And if you’re going to worship and follow a Savior…
What do we do when our worst, out of control fears come true? JOB’S WORST FEARS CAME TRUE. JOB 1:1: In the land of Uz there lived a man whose…
A while back I took a large number of professional and personality assessments to help me hone in on what my greatest strengths and desires are so that I can…
So many of Solomon’s observations are horizontal musings—the bitter, barren, boring side of life as seen through his disillusioned eyes. But, in chapter five he zeros in on the remarkable…
Dear Roger, I’d like to increase the power of my prayers. Can you share with me some things that will make my prayers stronger and more relevant? …
Dear Roger, I’m a new Christian, and I got invited to a Bible study. Everyone in the circle prayed a nice prayer, but when it came to my…
Have you ever been in that period of your life when you are planning on doing something new, and big…a new vision, or dream that you have been planning? Well,…
Have you received devastating news? Divorce? Disillusionment over current events? Perhaps, like Job, everything in your life seems to be falling apart and you are just waiting for the other…
Perhaps the biggest impediment to believing in God (as stated by those who don’t) is the presence of pain and suffering in the world. How can there be a God…
Dear Roger, I can’t imagine anyone choosing to be in hell. I’d rather think of hell as where God banishes people he chooses to punish. But, is it true that…
Hiram Johnson said, “The first casualty in war is truth.” God’s people have been in a cosmic battle since the fall. Satan’s first allegation against truth was in Genesis 3:1:…
No matter what, God is ultimately in control of this and every other election in history. As Proverbs 16:33 reminds us: man can cast lots, but God decides. His sovereignty…
The story of Joseph is one of the Bible’s most compelling tales. And the most gripping feature is the difference between Joseph’s outlook and that of his eleven brothers. After…
The COVID-19 global pandemic is a crisis we’ve never seen before. I started thinking about the word crisis and the different meanings for it. And the definition that really caught my attention:…
When Christians are at the center of cultural and political power, we don’t quite understand the Lord as a Warrior, but when Christians are marginalized, seeing that the Lord wars…
Dear Roger, How can I still believe God is at work and know that He is “working it all for good” when people are out of work, coronavirus is spiking…
Am I sinning if I’m not happy as a Christian?” In answering this question, I’m assuming two things of readers: You are familiar with what I’ve written about how happiness and…
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in…
When committed believers pray, an atmosphere is created which allows God to change His mind about negative events in their lives. Hopeless situations, disappointing circumstances, or even consequences of unaddressed…
The command “don’t worry” comes from Jesus. In Matthew chapter 6, verses 25 to 34, Jesus says “Stop worrying”, in verse 25, 31, and 34. Stop it. Now you say,…
Did you know that an observant Jew says a bare minimum of one hundred blessings per day? Those blessings cover the gamut of human experience. They offer a blessing before…
“In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the…
As believers, we are called to submit to God’s comprehensive rule in every area of our lives. This includes submitting to His will over our own. But like navigating traffic…
Matthew 6:10 As a citizen of the United States of America, we have a commitment to a nation – a kingdom. We also have constitutional rights because we are…
The prayer in Matthew 6 is often called the Lord’s Prayer; however, it is more accurately the disciple’s prayer. In Luke 11, after Jesus finishes praying, we see that the…
God may actually be shouting loudly, and it’s possible we’re just not listening. After running 90 miles away from Queen Jezebel because he had killed her 400 prophets of Baal,…
You can KNOW what to pray. Jesus knew what was in the heart of every man and woman and it was not always what he or she thought they needed.…
Have you learned to live an abundant life despite circumstances? God’s plan is to renew us. Every day is a new adventure. He renews our minds with his Word. He…
Spring 2020? It’s time for a deep breath, a steady resolve and a few decisions. I’m thinking of three essential, emotional tools. Gratitude. Collect your blessings. Catalog God’s kindnesses. Assemble…
Pastor John Piper was asked “How Do We Make Sense of the Coronavirus?” Here is his thoughtful answer: “How do I make sense of this? How do you get understanding?”…
John Piper teaches a powerful lesson on God’s conditions for answering your prayers. Here’s how to pray more powerfully! “God never ignores his children. He is never too busy. Never…
“Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.” Proverbs 4:6 I am sure you have asked yourself many times why you…
I’ve decided that my life verse is Jeremiah 29:11-13. I’m usually not one to post about the new year. However, the lessons I’ve learned from studying these verses were ones…
I’ve decided that my verse for the new year is Jeremiah 29:11-13. I’m usually not one to post about the new year. However, the lessons I’ve learned from studying these…
I’ve decided that my verse for the new year is Jeremiah 29:11-13. I’m usually not one to post about the new year. However, the lessons I’ve learned from studying these…
Dear Roger, I’ve been having some really serious health problems and one of my Christian friends recommended that I read the book of Job. That was the worst advice I’ve…
Dear Roger, I’m reading through Solomon’s book of Ecclesiastes and two thoughts grab my attention. First, it’s so depressing. Solomon says that everything is “vanity” or “worthless emptiness.” …
“If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us?” Here are…
“Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did…
For those of us who follow Christ, it’s important to understand “why” we choose to live intentionally. If we take the book of Ephesians and split it into two halves,…
“How do you know the will of God?” At every Campus Crusade Christmas Conference that was the title of the workshop that always drew standing room numbers. Because every Christian has wondered…
While I doubt anyone this side of Heaven will ever manage to fully “explain” how God’s sovereignty and human choice fully fit together, I believe Scripture provides us with many…
Elisha gave up a profitable career to become a penniless prophet. What do we learn? Crisis can be catalyst for change, but how do we change in the absence of one?…
Sometimes I have the privilege to speak to young men and women at graduation ceremonies and I look at them and wonder if they are ready to succeed in the…
Do you need to make a decision about something that seems so exciting, but you can’t seem to shake the hesitation in your heart? We have a family friend named…
“If I have become so pathetically dulled that I hold freedom as my right and the privileges of liberty as my due, I can stand beside the stilled graves of…
Dear Roger, I am so overwhelmed. Why doesn’t God meet my needs? I pray and pray, and He doesn’t seem to hear or care. Am I praying for the right…
Was the birth of Ishmael the result of Sarah’s sin? Here are a few thoughts by Jeff Elkins: AN OLD UNDERSTANDING OF GENESIS 16 As a Southern Baptist kid who attended…
What is it in my own life that I need to change or should change? Change starts by first taking 100 percent responsibility for our thoughts, actions and attitudes. It…
Dear Roger, I have an inoperable brain tumor. The pain is increasing. I am on heavy pain medicines. It still hurts. I’ve read several articles on dealing with pain, done…
When we’re in places of transition and trouble, God shows up to reveal that He has been with us all along. We can learn so much about meeting God when…
“For anyone out there who doesn’t know where you’re going, anyone groping in the dark, here’s what: Trust in GOD. Lean on your God!” (Isaiah 50:10 MSG). Following God will…
How many times have you doubted God’s goodness? Max Lucado teaches on how to trust God and be content: “The widest river in the world is not the Mississippi, Amazon,…
Psalm 95 is a model for approaching God in prayer. It begins with praise and thanksgiving. The Apostle Paul seldom mentioned prayer in the New Testament without an attitude of…
I have a number of letters each week from people around the world who are contemplating suicide. Here are a few thoughts that might help you in dealing with someone…
“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” – Jesus Christ 1. Existing fetal homicide laws make a man guilty of manslaughter if he kills the…
“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” – Jesus Christ 1. Existing fetal homicide laws make a man guilty of manslaughter if he kills the…
Crossroads Birth: “The rich and the poor have a common bond, the Lord is the maker of them all.” (Prov. 22:2) Authority: “The eye that mocks a father and scorns…
Mass shootings. Violence. Hate. Max Lucado writes, “We seem to lurch from tragedy to tragedy, shooting to shooting, bombing to bombing. The kids didn’t deserve such a death. Their parents…
Today, I would like to get practical by offering biblical wisdom regarding work for a few specific groups of people. Those groups are students, stay at home moms and dads,…
More than likely, you’ve spent most of your life choosing to do more than is possible and beating yourself up for not being able to keep up. “I should…
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle…
The secular concept of environmentalism and climate change activism is based upon the idea of nations exercising rights through occupation and proximity. If a people group occupies territory or is…
Revelation 6 is an unfolding of God’s judgment in the Tribulation. Discover the antichrist and afterlife. What will these times look like? Man, who has rejected his Creator, will suddenly…
Dear Roger, How do I know if God is speaking to me? Sincerely, Tom During the worship service, a woman whispered quietly to Julie: “I have a word from the…
God’s name, YAHWEH, is spoken without the vowels. In fact, when a Jew spoke the Hebrew words, it was a whisper-a breath. God gave us our first breath and we…
Our current church culture fights against us appreciating the Bible as a complex story. Our devotionals and small group studies focus on squeezing from the text drops of practical application.…
Saul was a bad king. He was impatient when he should have waited, and he hesitated when he should have advanced. Chapter 15 of 1st Samuel is a dark moment for…
A year before our move to New York City, on the eve of my thirty-fifth birthday, my husband Gabe surprised me. “How about I send you to Denver, to spend…
Elijah called fire down from heaven. But in a moment of weakness, he doubted God and lost his way. How did God speak to him, and how does He speak…
Here’s a baffling question for those who read the Bible. Why didn’t God tell Jacob that his son, Joseph was still alive? Jacob languished for years in mourning for what…
God wants us to be addicted to Him. We can fall in love with doing good things, with resisting sin, with caring for the poor, with memorizing Scripture, but it’s…
How can a good and powerful God tolerate all the evil in the world? That question—frequently posed by skeptics and liberal theologians—is a not-so-veiled attack on the God of the…
God allows us to see flaws in Bible characters to help us identify with them and learn from their poor choices. Abram lied, Sarai was impatient. Their mistakes almost cost…
Professor Julia Blum teaches at eteacherbiblical.com out of Tel Aviv, Israel. Her profound knowledge of the Bible and Jewish history will greatly bless you this Christmas: When was the Silent…
Dear Roger, I got emotionally involved with a man at work. One thing led to another and before I knew it, our relationship became physical. It didn’t last very…
What kind of prayers do you pray? Do you pray with faith or doubt, selfishly or unselfishly? Dr. John Piper reveals how Christians often ask God for their good,…
God has plans for a hope and a future for us. But the real message is that life isn’t easy. Often His best plan is not ours, but protects us…
Can America (and the world) achieve racial reconciliation? Can our multicolored, multi-tongued society find common ground for communication? For peace? For cooperation in meeting head-on the great needs of our…
Pornography is not new, but the digital age has made it more ubiquitous and accessible than ever before. The technological realities of smartphones and high-speed internet have fundamentally changed the…
For many years now, the Lord has put the issue of revival praying upon my heart. Initially, I must admit, my prayers were fairly generic: “O Lord, please revive us.”…
I am surprised by, and sometimes frustrated at, some people’s submission to emotions. Emotions dominate their lives. Rational thought is ignored and facts are resisted. Like the lady with the…
Experience is not the best teacher; evaluated experience is.—John Maxwell Learn from your successes. Do we learn more from studying failures or successes? Obviously, we learn from both, but often…
Our lives are filled with white noise: the expectations of others that distract us from God’s calling for our lives. How do we tune out “white noise.” hear God speak…
The disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! —John 20:19 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and…
Excuses are like hiding places that promise to keep you safe from difficult things. Ignore them. The only things that reproduce faster than rabbits are excuses when you’ve got important…
Pastor Chan teaches that after the fall, God promises to restore the world to Himself. All of our lives should be lived in light of the new Heaven and Earth.
Why does God allow suffering and death? This is the age-old question that has plagued man for thousands of years. It is a direct challenge against the goodness of God.…
A pastor friend told me last week that he had church members enraged with him when he suggested from the pulpit that we ought to pray for the salvation of…
This is one of the most common and most important questions people ask about God. The answer is bigger than we sometimes think, and, while it is not always easy,…
Lying to ourselves is easy. Lying to God is not. Even little white lies are not little to God. Wise Solomon warns us in Proverbs that “…the Lord detests lying…
Two stories are juxtaposed here: the story of a nation of people whom God liberates and the story of Moses the deliverer. Israel and Moses, their leader, learned the unfathomable…
When I was diagnosed with cancer, the question “Why me?” was a natural one. Later, when I survived but others with the same kind of cancer died, I also had…
Psalm 37 teaches us to enjoy God, to trust He will give us right desires. We don’t need to be anxious. Just walk in faith and do good. Preached at…
One of the most important aspects of a successful life is knowing where to go. An eagle has eight times more visual cells per cubic centimeter than a human. It…
Humans have a traitor within. When the truth hurts, most prefer a lie. The three marks of the accountable life are taking responsibility, accepting correction and living transparently. Preached at…
What if your clock ran out today? Time is an earnest laborer, precision is his neighbor. Be wise, be aware of your season of life. Invest in your key priorities.…
An entire nation missed Christmas. All of Rome could have shared in the Savior’s birth, but they missed it. That first Christmas was set in a Roman scene. Herod, for…
We find our meaning in life through our life’s story in God. We have a glorious past. We have a beautiful future, a New Heaven, a New Earth and New…
At the end of this article I will give four very practical steps that I take as I enter the arena of each day where I must make moral choices.…
The godly person stays apart from worldly influences, reverences God supremely and feeds on His Word continually. He will weather any storms. from Cornerstone Church archives, Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley,…
A wounded person definitely needs his/her space. For the sake of simplicity I will use “his” for the moment, though the victim may also be a woman or child. “Down”…
Eggs sometimes get a bad rap at Easter. Eggs are such a widely used symbolic food. Everyone from dancing druids and pagan fertility gods to — worst of all —…
Some of you love to work with jigsaw puzzles. You take a jumble of disconnected pieces and arrange them in the right order. Certain folks are so proud of their…
“Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…in a most delightful way” How many of you can hear Mary Poppins singing that? How many of you have no…
Does God answer prayer? We should make legitimate requests offered with respect and kindness, like a child to a father, and fitting into the scope of what God wants…
How do we discover God’s will? By personally interacting with Scripture, by praying for and acting upon received wisdom and by seeking counsel from those living Christ-honoring lives. Excerpts taken…
The will of God often sends us to meet needs and into danger. It is hard to remember that Jesus did not come to make us safe, but rather to…
Someone said that, “We’re all millionaires and don’t know it.” I read this in a book about 20 years ago. The book was about Jesus living his life as a…
Why do we often emulate the person we least desire to be? Hebrews chapter 12 gives us a strategy for personal growth.
Sometimes our plans have to fail in order for God’s plans to succeed. Divine detours and delays are the ways God gets us where He wants us to go. Paul’s…
God communicates with us by the Bible, by reason, by godly counsel, by circumstances, by dreams, signs and wonders. He speaks Holy Spirit to human spirit. How do we know…
Dear Roger, Regarding physical healings—Does God gift people with the ability to heal physical ailments today? Thoughts on “healing”? Revivals? Thanks! Question from Casas’ “What’s Next Class” Dear Ms. WNC,…
Dear Roger, If Adam and Eve had only boys, how did their children reproduce to create the world’s people? Incest? Sincerely, Questioner in Casas’ “What’s Next Class” Dear Q, According…
In order to find purpose and meaning in life, we must learn to recognize God’s will. The Bible identifies six principles that are explicitly the will of God for us.…
This week’s study from the book of Proverbs will examine one of the most well-known verses in the Bible regarding God’s guidance. In four simple phrases, King Solomon records three…