Hopelessness is a problem of perspective. It comes from not seeing the larger reality that always surrounds the small set of circumstances in which we may have lost something. There is always a larger battle going on that may be won.
Learning to trust God is a process. We find ourselves having a deeper confidence in Him as we gradually take bigger — and riskier — steps. The more steps we take, the more we can see, looking back, that He has never led us astray.
If we humbly respond to God in the obedience of faith, we can rest assured that the answer to our prayers will never be anything less than good. And very often, the answer will go beyond the good to the better . . . and even to the best.
Much of Jesus’ praying was alone. Yes, public prayer is permitted, and we have plenty of examples of Christians praying together in Acts. But let us not fail to heed Jesus’ emphasis on private prayer. That is where our greatest growth comes from.
If we want to think rightly, how should we think about things like the pain of losing a love? “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy” is part of the truth, but think about this: our tears aren’t just followed by joy — they are a part of the joy.
Whatever we do in the Lord, we know it will accomplish something worthwhile. That’s true because it is the Lord, not we ourselves, who will take it and turn it into something good. It doesn’t depend on us or the “importance” of what we’ve done.
Our destiny is usually determined by what we do on the days when there was nothing very positive or negative to deal with, just a lot of work to be done. Being “dedicated” enough to go to heaven comes down to rolling up our sleeves and working.
What are we doing WITH our happiness? Happiness makes a wonderful foundation for a life of service to those around us. But if the foundation exists and nothing is built upon it, people may rightly ask, “What good is the foundation by itself?”
We long to see our Father’s face. But might it not be true that our Father is preparing us for that joy by sending us through a time of anticipation in this world, a time when our joy comes from relishing the thought of what will one day be ours?
Almost without exception, the encourager is encouraged in the very act of trying to encourage someone else. And the reverse is also true. By neglecting to encourage others, we deprive ourselves of much-needed encouragement we might otherwise receive.
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 ...
As you look for a faithful congregation, don’t be misled by the attractions of entertainment masquerading as religion. You’re searching for the Lord’s people, so “examine everything carefully; hold fast ...
You can’t read what happened in Antioch in Acts 11:19-26 and imagine those people downplaying their duties to the Lord’s church in their locality. The entire New Testament assumes that ...
Because the truth is indestructible, the church built upon it is indestructible. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Satan could not prevent God’s Son from accomplishing His ...
It is not the church building but the members of God’s spiritual family who make up His “house,” as made clear by the translation “household” in the ESV. This marvelous ...
The character of God is the key to the assurance of our salvation. God being who He is, we do not doubt that He desires for us to overcome every ...
The new Christian needs to know that he has embarked on a process of spiritual growth. Many texts speak of this, but none more clearly than Ephesians 4:15,16 where Paul ...
There are some things about God’s plan for the church that to our modern “common sense” seem foolish or unworkable, but those things reflect the “manifold wisdom of God” just ...
In an age when people think there is nothing to the gospel except each person’s individual opinion, we need to keep the emphasis on the authoritative statement of the gospel ...
Israel was fortunate to have such a stark reminder as the Day of Atonement. And today, we lose much of the depth that should characterize our godliness if we never ...
There is simply no force in the world more potent than love — and when love is a holy passion for God, it is a force that will move us ...
Is it any wonder that we see so many exhortations in the Scriptures to keep the faith. These warnings are greatly needed. We should not be doubtful about our salvation, ...