As many of you know, I write these columns as lesson plans for my weekly Bible Study group at church. I thought it would be good to lay out this important scripture in the same way as I would teach, but in a more stuctured form. Feel free to give me feedback if you like this format better than my usual stream-of-consciousness versions!
An ...
As adults, we are often in the thick of life’s demands: family responsibilities, career goals, health concerns, and personal aspirations. We live in a world that thrives on speed, instant results, and immediate gratification. Our schedules are packed, our lives are busy, and our plans seem to demand that things happen now.
In the midst of ...
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 1 Chronicles 16:29 KJV
A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness. — John Keats
Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. ...
Many people find their emotions at holiday times to be the opposite of what the majority are celebrating.
For example, if your mother recently passed away, Mother’s Day could bring more sadness than joy. If you are poor and homeless at Christmas time, you might feel guilt and anxiety rather than joy because you cannot provide meaningful gifts ...
When the Apostle Paul was led to write encouraging words of advice to the church he had planted in Philippi, he wanted to emphasize the importance of getting our daily priorities straight. He wanted the believers to make obedience to God’s sovreign will the first, last and highest importance for each day of life. He wanted to assure them that such ...
It seems inevitable.
Whenever my Bible Study group gets together, the subject of free will comes up.
It’s certainly one of the hardest concepts to get our heads around. Why would God create us with free will when He knew ahead of time that the consequences would cost Him dearly?
The question gets disguised in many ways — why ...
I suffer from worms!
Ear-worms that is!
Those pesky little snippets of tunes and songs that get stuck in your head and won’t go away. If you’ve ever visited one of the Disney parks you may have heard, “it’s a small world, after all” and now you can’t un-hear it! My apologies if I just triggered that response in you.
Psychologists ...