Selfish regret is destructive, but our regret need not come from a selfish heart. If our hearts are turned toward God, then pure regret can be a gently poignant reminder of our continuing need for His grace, part of the hunger that brings us to Him.
As life moves on and our decisions multiply, it becomes more and more obvious what kind of stuff we’re made of. When the end comes and we stand before our Maker for His judgment, the evidence will be irrefutable. We will have chosen our destiny.
“Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Who among us can read these words and not think of penitent steps that we need to take so that God can show His love to us?
Some things are not revealed to us, but what God has revealed is the truth about His character, heart, and values. He patiently waits for us to be more interested in these things and less interested in what the future may hold for us in this life.
If we don’t love God as we used to, there are some specific things we can do to rectify that problem. One of these would be to take some time off, go to a restful place, and remember — really remember — how we used to love Him.
There are few things in the world that might not jeopardize our souls under some circumstances. But whatever threatens to cut us off from God, we should let go of that thing immediately. If the house is burning, leave your stuff and get out of there!
Because of our own choices, those whom we need to be connected to, especially God, have turned their backs to us — and not without justification. We are not only alone; we are alone because we’ve been abandoned . . . because of our own misdeeds.
If God exists, we need to take Him with utter seriousness. We must not relegate spiritual truths to a secondary status. To be people of faith means we’re committed to the massive continents of truth that lie beyond our present horizons.
To those whose hearts are turned toward God today, there are no more joyous sounds than those that emanate from His throne: the sounds of victory, of worship, and of freedom! Do we have ears to hear? Do our hearts resonate to the sounds of God’s joy?
It is no less true with God than with anyone else: we are delighted to receive communications from those whom we love. “This is the love of God,” John wrote, “that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
Out of all we have learned from the Scriptures, only a fraction of that has truly been “received.” Today, let’s determine that we will not let pride keep God’s word ...
There is nothing about any of us that is not known to God (Hebrews 4:12,13). What if God made known to the public everything He knows about us, even the ...
Rebellion may be a temptation sometimes, but it’s not the only way we may depart from Christ. In a dangerous world, our confidence needs to be balanced with carefulness — ...
The idea that God has the right to govern everything about us is hard for us to swallow. But if God is indeed our Creator, we are not free to ...
The “teaching of Christ” is a teaching we must “abide in” if we hope to be saved from our sins (2 John 9). And whatever else the teaching of Christ ...
The entire gospel depends on the Incarnation. God could not have died an atoning death for our sins if He had not become a human being who was capable of ...
Hatred comes straight out of hell. Sexual sin is an abomination that will damn your soul, but if things like pride, anger, and selfishness are in your heart, you are ...
In Christ, we are assured of being protected from the wrath that will be poured out on the rebellious and disobedient. But even in Christ, we must not fail to ...
The gospel’s value does not lie in its power to remove the difficulties of this life; its power is the promise of resurrection to eternal life (1 Peter 1). May ...
As you consider obeying the gospel, many of the “what ifs” will be frightful. I won’t insult you by saying that your path will be easy. But this much I ...
Heaven is the reason why people become Christians. At least, that’s what life in Christ was about in the apostolic age. Its “end” or intended goal was not a better ...
Yes, by all means investigate the “churches of Christ.” But when you visit, you’ll need to look deeper than the name and ask lots of questions. That designation expresses a ...