The following is adapted from a talk given at a ladies luncheon, May 2022. A couple of months ago I was invited to speak at this luncheon on the topic, “When Life Gives You Lemons, ….” As I began to think about what I might share with you today, the first question that came to mind was this: What do people think of when they hear the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”? [...]
I was driving down the road the other day. Snowflakes were fluttering in the breeze and the Thanksgiving holiday was only days away. One of my favorite Christmas songs was playing, Michael W. Smith’s Reve du Noel. For some reason, this song always makes me feel like Christmas. It starts out as a chorale in a manner reminiscent of the Carol of the Bells, followed by a piano interlude of Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s [...]
What do you think of when you hear the word, “holiness”? Do you picture angels with harps? Do you have a vague image of Old Testament priests in the Temple? Do you think, “Holiness is for Super Saints like Mother Theresa and Billy Graham…” Do you groan inwardly and think, “Holiness Again? Time to tune out…” Does hearing the word “holiness” make you feel a little guilty? Maybe you find yourself thinking, “I’ve tried but [...]
Two weeks ago, I shared with you about Living in the Freedom of Christ. Last week we focused on Living in the Grace of Christ. This week, I want to share with you about Living in the Forgiveness of Christ. These three truths are closely intertwined, but, in my experience, forgiveness is the key to experiencing what it really means to live in the freedom and the grace of Christ. If you recall, I promised [...]
One of my favorite passages in the Bible appears in the book of Exodus. I imagine you have heard the story. Moses had spent many days upon the top of Mount Sinai in the presence of God, receiving from Him various instructions, including the ten commandments. But the people waiting below, became restless and impatient. They compelled Aaron to make for them a golden calf to worship, such as they had once had in Egypt. [...]
Early one morning, the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to test Jesus, hoping to find grounds to accuse Him. Jesus responded to them, saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” And one by one, her accusers walked away. A little while later, Jesus proclaimed, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in [...]
I often enjoy reading John Stonestreet’s blog on Breakpoint. In today’s post, John quoted an old Easter message from Chuck Colson talking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you were not around in the days of the Nixon administration, you might not be familiar with the Watergate scandal. As an attorney, Chuck Colson served as Special Council to President Nixon from 1969 to 1970. He was one of seven political advisors convicted by a [...]
The Biblical book of Psalms is a collection of poetry, prose, and prayers. Many of the Psalms were written by David, the greatest of Israel’s kings. Several others are attributed to Asaph, a Levite who was appointed as chief minister of worship and song by King David. Still others are attributed to Solomon, David’s son and successor, or to the sons of Korah, Levites who were gatekeepers, songwriters and singers in the Temple. For several [...]
For many of us who have been raised in the cities and suburbs of North America, autumn is about warm soup, brisk walks, colorful foliage, and hoping the winter snow will be manageable. But for those who have been raised in farm country, fall is the season of the harvest. In much of the world, and for most of human history, a good harvest means being able to provide for the family for another year. [...]
If you have heard the story of the prophet, Jonah, you will probably immediately think of how he was swallowed by a whale. The story goes that God sent Jonah to the great city of Nineveh to warn the people that He would send destruction upon them because of their wickedness. But instead of doing what God had commanded, Jonah ran away. He boarded a ship headed in the opposite direction. God sent a great [...]
