Knickknacks, bric-a-brac, gewgaw—whatever name you want to give it, it all serves the same purpose: nothing. Well, except for dust-collecting, I suppose. Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh. If you’re a collector of knickknacks, I apologize. I’m sure they’re lovely. But you must admit, they don’t do anything but sit there looking pretty, taking up … Continue reading Faith That Works, Love That Labors, and Hope That Endures
Category: Spiritual Growth
Four Reasons Scripture Memory Might Just Be My Favorite Spiritual Discipline
I know you probably think that I’m bananas for claiming to like memorizing Scripture. And yes, I am more than a little bit nerdy. I admit that. But hiding God’s Words in my heart isn’t about having an outlet for my nerdy tendencies. Like exercise, Scripture memory is always work. And most of the time … Continue reading Four Reasons Scripture Memory Might Just Be My Favorite Spiritual Discipline
When Faithful Obedience Feels Futile
“Why do we need to wash the dishes? They’re just going to get dirty again anyway.” Perhaps your kids have asked you this. I remember making the query to my mom in my younger days (probably on a night I was supposed to wash dishes). Of course, we understand that what feels pointless to a … Continue reading When Faithful Obedience Feels Futile
Don’t Settle for Change That’s Only Skin-Deep
Did you make any goals for 2023? Statistically, the answer to that question is probably no. According to statista.com, less than 25% of Americans made resolutions in 2022.1And even if you did make a goal for 2023, statistics (and experience) tell us about 9 out of 10 people will fail anyway2. No wonder so many … Continue reading Don’t Settle for Change That’s Only Skin-Deep
Feet That Don’t Slip
They had to be helped up to the platform to speak, could not stand for long periods of time, suffered from debilitating illness and injury; from all outward appearances, these women are unsteady on their feet, generally infirmed, and near the end of their lives. However, as I listened to Joni Eareckson Tada, Kay Arthur, … Continue reading Feet That Don’t Slip
Zeal Doomed to Fail
James Bond, Jack Bauer, and Jason Bourne have got nothing on him. He had a license to kill, and he most certainly knew how to use it. He connived to assassinate two kings, the queen mum, the royal family, and an entire religion. And he managed rule as king himself for nearly three decades. His … Continue reading Zeal Doomed to Fail
Watching Out for Unmarked Paths
“Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”1 As Screwtape, the veteran tempter, counsels his young apprentice and nephew Wormwood, Christians are most easily led astray when they don’t notice it happening—when they walk blissfully along a smooth path with no warning … Continue reading Watching Out for Unmarked Paths
Learning to Cling
After forty sweltering years in the wilderness, Moses is about to die, and the people of Israel stand ready to enter the long-awaited Promised Land without him. Since a new generation has grown up in the wilderness after Sinai, Moses reiterates the Law in his farewell address, the book we know as Deuteronomy (literally, “second … Continue reading Learning to Cling
The Lie of Easy Obey-ism
Did you attend Bible camp as a kid? I did, and it was probably my favorite place in the whole world. I loved the games, the cabin competitions, and the friends I’d see up there once a year. I even loved the food. (There was one very long, very steep hike that I didn’t care … Continue reading The Lie of Easy Obey-ism
Enough Really Is Enough
The most important day in the history of Israel had finally arrived. It had been 480 years since God had parted the Red Sea and freed His chosen people from slavery. And now, nearly five centuries later, Yahweh had a temple. Of course, King Solomon built this wonder of the ancient world, replete with splendor … Continue reading Enough Really Is Enough
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