Sometimes we may think that we are holding onto God, but in reality, God is holding onto us.A man and his son were preparing to cross the street. Although there was some traffic, it wasn't too heavy. The father told the son to hold his hand. The little boy wrapped his chubby little fingers around one of his father’s fingers. As they began walking, the traffic started to get more intense. The fathe...  Read More

I appreciate restaurants that give you the option of making reservations. It keeps you from waiting for a long time to be seated. I've been to a couple of concerts and a couple of ball games where I had to have a ticket to get a seat. That ticket was a reservation for me. It didn't matter how packed everything was. It didn't matter how many people were thronging into the building. I had a ticket. ...  Read More

Pulitzer Prize winner, Joseph Hallinan, wrote an article on hope, in which he shared research done in the 1950s by Kurt Richter, professor at Johns Hopkins University. He wrote:In the 1950s, he conducted a gruesome experiment with domesticated and wild rats. He first took a dozen domesticated rats, put them into jars half-filled with water, and watched them drown. The idea was to measure the amoun...  Read More

Jay Wallace Hamilton once said, “When there’s no hope for the future, there’s no power in the present.” When we don't have something that we're longing for, or looking forward to, or seeing something that will change for the better, we don't have the power to make it today. The great need for today is hope. Robert Morgan once wrote,In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl tells of his ...  Read More

Social media is often praised for its ability to connect people, but it also comes with its own set of dangers. Despite the fact that we identify with each other in social communities, we often become confined to our own little groups and aren't exposed to different perspectives. In 2017, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the potential of social media to bring people together during a s...  Read More

Adrian Rogers once saw a picture and an article that caught his attention from The Houston Chronicle. This picture, which was on the front page, showed a woman who had her ear on a man’s chest. The man was not her husband, nor was he her son, nor was he related to her in any way, and yet she had her ear on his chest. The reason was because the man that she had her ear up to his chest was a man who...  Read More

Before I entered the ministry, I worked in Christian bookstores. I started working in them at the age of 16 and even managed three of them once I turned 18. I enjoyed every minute of it and thought that was going to be my career. In general, I love bookstores so much that when Lydia and I were first married, a great date for us was to eat out somewhere, and then she would drop me off at a used boo...  Read More

I remember when Lydia and I were planning on getting married, and friends and family members were going to throw a bridal shower for Lydia. I had not gone to any bridal showers that I was aware of, and I was kind of indignant that I was being left out. I said, "Hey, why am I not invited? I'm getting married too. This shouldn't be a bridal shower. This should be a wedding shower, and it should be b...  Read More

I like what Charles Spurgeon once said, "When we get to heaven, over the gates it will say ‘whosoever will may come,' and upon entering, we will see inscribed on the backside, 'elect before the foundation of the world'." There is a mystery to our salvation - we have been chosen by God, and then we have said "yes" to Him, but our salvation was initiated by Jesus Christ and God the Father pursuing us into a relationship with Himself. This should bring comfort. You belong in His family. Your salvation is not based on you, it is based on God.  Read More

There may be times of tension or conflict, but we should value those relationships. It's important to not give up on our relationships with others, especially as Christians. Instead of walking away from them, we should make an effort to build and keep those relationships intact. Acts 15:36-41 describes a time of conflict between Paul and Barnabas. Even these great men of God experienced conflict and tension, and we can learn from their example.  Read More

During the Superbowl a week and a half ago, advertisers spent $7 million dollars to place their 30-second ad in front of the viewers. There was one ad campaign that has generated some talk called “He Gets Us.” They spent $14 million dollars on a 1-minute ad during the Superbowl with a punchline that said, “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet.” It was met with mixed reviews. Many evangelical Ch...  Read More

We really resent the idea when someone says, “Do as I say, but not as I do.” Our walk should match our talk. I’ve come to conclude that our beliefs and doctrines are what we say we believe. But our actions are proving what we actually believe. Our doctrines may be what we say we believe, but our actions reveal what we truly believe. Galatians 2 tells the story of when Paul had to confront Peter be...  Read More