Paul, the apostle, probably gave us the most pragmatic model for making a successful transition in leadership. He penned thirteen New Testament epistles for the sole purpose of helping the…
How do you quantify fear? How do you measure anxiety? None of us knows what lies ahead of us with the COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation. When scientists’ predictions range from tens…
God knows your need (and He’s the only one who can meet it). Instead of focusing on what I need, what I think, what I want, I’m changing my prayer.…
John Piper, in his magnificent book, “Why I Love the Apostle Paul,” asks us why Paul didn’t boast more about his vision of the third heaven. Where did Paul go?…
John Piper, in his magnificent book, “Why I Love the Apostle Paul,” asks us why Paul didn’t boast more about his vision of the third heaven. Where did Paul go?…
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…
Did Christ rise from the dead? How do we really know? Many scholars refute the resurrection because they say the gospels were written much later in time. So where in…
Our natural virtues, which come from inborn temperament and family nurture—such as our talents, aptitudes, and strengths—are good things. But they each have a dark side. People with prophetic gifts—that…
“My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants.” Mark 3:35 “Give me a word picture to describe a relative in your life who really…
How do you know if you are proud? Paul has the litmus test. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 “Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us…
Dear Roger, I have been deeply offended because my spouse has been mistreated by a trusted friend and I can’t seem to get past it. How do I find it…
Paul letter to the Philippian Church contains Paul’s keys to contentment. It is not born in you. It’s a decision you make. This is the man who preached to the…
Dear Roger, I have had a friend ask me a question about ghosts. They have stated that they have seen a ghost, a man who stands by a window.…
Are you questioning God today? How do you pray when you don’t understand what He is doing? You can argue with God. David did. Let’s be like David, and every…
Here are a few things you should know about the future of Christianity and how we can reach the next generation with the Gospel in an authentic, relevant way. Our…
When we make New Year’s resolutions, we are usually quite sincere but idealistic. We promise more than we will realistically deliver, which sets us up for false guilt, toxic shame,…
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” Here we find an example of Jesus comforting his disciples. When He tells them not to…
Your husband learned from an early age to deny his true feelings — and to be silent about his deepest needs. Most men long for greater intimacy with their wives …
Have you settled for a mediocre faith? Is your prayer life mundane, expectations low. God is bigger than that. Steven Furtick preaches about childlike faith. “Paul said to not let…
I have always found Jesus’ words in Matt 5:21-22 to be shattering. He begins by reminding his listeners that anyone who murders will be judged. But then he gives three…
The conclusion of a story reveals the transformation of the characters. To really live the spiritual life, we must die to those things that keep us from fulfilling God’s grand…
What’s the best way for your church to communicate to your congregation? Well, it depends on the church. The world is increasingly a complex melting pot of subcultures. Some churches…
I didn’t want just a filter that was like a fence around my kids. Fences might be good for keeping dogs in, but they only provide a temptation for people.…
Face it, there are just some things that we don’t like to do. We all have those irritating things that incessantly demand our attention. Every one of us has a…
Easter is the joyful climax of the liturgical year. You can’t top Jesus jumping out of the grave, stomping Satan’s ugly head and forgiving our filthy sins. The whole Bible…
Dear Roger, I joined a women’s Bible study several months ago and recently an argument began over whether or not it is a sin for Christians to have tattoos. The…
Differences in personality and theology can divide us and weaken our ability to face the challenges before us as Christ-followers. Unity occurs in our common experience of an uncommon God.…
The old guy at the corner hasn’t seen him. The woman selling the figs hasn’t either. Jesus described him to the scribes at the gate and the kids in the…
We cannot afford to be lukewarm Christians. Paul teaches in Romans 12:11 that serving the Lord means 1) seeing the Lord as worth more than what the appetites offer; and…
John Piper affirms the use of “the miracle gifts” mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12-14, but believes that the most effective forum is in the context of a small group where…
Singleness and marriage are both gifts from God. Intimacy is indispensable to marriage. When we deny sexual intimacy, we are cheating the marriage.
Paul, in prison, pleads to keep his new convert, the slave Onesimus, to minister to him. Paul writes to his Christian brother Philemon that the reason his slave was separated…
Dear Roger, After devastating occurrences taking place in my life one after the other I have given up on God! As somebody who from an early age has been taught…
Bethany wandered into the living room with a piece of scrap paper in her hand. She was not quite two years old and she enjoyed scribbling and pretending to write.…
Our lives must be lived in complete surrender to Jesus, constantly from and eternal perspective. Our daily work and ministry will be fruitful as we obey Him. Even though heaven…
Josh McDowell, renowned Bible teacher, apologist and author, posted some absolutely fascinating research on his site. Teen depression and STD’s are of epidemic proportions, and as parents, teachers and concerned…
The value of women is discussed from the scriptural, cultural, historical, traditional and contemporary lenses. Women blessed, encouraged and helped Jesus throughout His ministry. They accompanied Him on His ministry…
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…
Hi Roger, I have a small group I am teaching, actually three of my best friends, one a Catholic, one a Lutheran, and one an alcoholic. They really need…
When Paul said his last good-byes to the churches he had planted on the three missionary journeys, he considered his work finished in that part of the world (Rom. 15:23).…
Paul learns how to survive in the darkest circumstances not only by the “grace power” of God, but by the support system of saints around him. When times get really tough, we…
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…
Pastors Jack Schull and Scott B. commission 19 global workers from around the world. They share their stories, and how the church can be involved. Casas has sent 7,000 members…
I’ve never been a fan of Winnie-the-Pooh. Or Tigger. Or Piglet. Tigger was always too spastic. Piglet too nervous. And Pooh, just too pooh. But Eeyore? He was my kind…
Paul describes his own religious credentials in Acts 22, and Philippians 3. However, when we read the story of his conversion, we know him only as a leader in a…
The apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from a dark prison cell in Rome. We learn much about inner joy and contentment from his story.The prisons of loneliness,…
What is the source of your joy? Why do you get anxious? God reveals through Paul His plan for inner peace and strength. WATCH CLAYTON’S STORY
The story of Paul and Ananias teaches us much about healing relational scars. Take your hurt and be honest in the presence of God. Articulate your pain and anger to…
I woke up in the middle of the night wiping tears from my eyes. I sat up and realized they were actual tears. I had dreamed that, my husband, Ryan…
Living courageously means sharing Christ fearlessly. We bond together as co-workers as we reach the world for Christ. Church-goers are not to be consumers, but committed followers of Christ.
Fierce, contrary winds whipped the waves of the Galilean Sea like a frothy meringue. Jesus’ rag-tag team shivered in their sandals as their tiny wooden skiff tossed about on the…
I came across a sad story this week, a story about a honeymoon disaster. The newly weds arrived at the hotel in the wee hours with high hopes. They’d reserved…
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…
Do you struggle with losing weight? Every day is a battle, one calorie at a time. And then there is that wicked cupcake, that seductive pizza, that chocolate milkshake that…
Everybody loves the limelight, except spiritual grownups that have learned to shine the spotlight on Jesus Christ. Hairy John the Baptist may have reeked of sweat and barbecued grasshoppers, but…
“Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’” Hebrews 13:4 NIV Caring for…
People are so narrowly focused that they often miss the obvious. As believers, we are chosen and called for the praise of His glory. We must be careful to live…
God loves us unconditionally and simply asks us to love Him intimately, humbly serve Him, and to walk with Him in submission and obedience.
You can teach a child to pray in many creative ways. Here are just a couple: Prayer Picture Cards Things you need-Index cards, photos of people, pictures from magazines, glue,…
Unless we become like children-humble, teachable and trusting-we will never grow into the spiritual people God intends for us to be. The intellegencia in Athens were too proud to receive…
We can be free from anxiety and aloneness because we have access to the throne room of God and His gifts of peace and joy. We must live with the…
Paul encourages us to finish the race with the strength and power only God can provide. Our hope is in heaven, not here on earth.
Our purpose is to live for Christ, a life of noticing others so we can minister the encouragement, compassion and comfort Jesus first showed us. As our love shines in…
Paul poses four questions. If we are encouraged by Christ, can we give that same encouragement to others? If we are comforted by Him, can we comfort others? If we…
Only by having a proper view of God can we comprehend the reason for suffering. Suffering allows us to comfort others, to learn our own insufficiencies and God’s sufficiency. When…
Our handicaps, or “thorns” as Paul dubs them, are no accident. God can use them for spiritual service. We must stop window-shopping for what we don’t have and learn to…
“Thorns in the flesh” contemplates Paul’s struggle with handicaps and his healing through the grace of God. No matter what obstacles we face, God is there beside you to carry…
Complaining makes life miserable. Complaining causes us to miss what God is doing now, damages the gifts He gives us and hurts our testimony. If we speak instead with gratitude…
The little town of Bethlehem was an unlikely place for the Messiah to be born. Even small towns and unremarkable people can experience grace and strength from God. In our…