Non-Traditional Christmas Passages

There are some other passages, though, that are not generally thought of as Christmas passages and yet are powerful statements of Jesus’ birth.  These passages don’t have shepherds; no angels; no manger scene; no donkey or Mary and Joseph.  Just Jesus.  They are familiar passages, but I particularly like them because they speak about Jesus’ character as related to His birth.

Lessons on Preparedness, from the California Wildfires

Losing essentially all your earthly goods has to be an extremely difficult experience.  But even here, the believer in Christ can have hope

A Pause to Give Thanks – For You!

This Thanksgiving provides us with an opportunity to thank you – those of you who have been out there faithfully teaching the Word of God, biblically discipling/counseling people in need, ministering in prisons, helping behind the scenes, and otherwise encouraging the saints. 

Addiction: Who’s In Control (Part 2)

As believers, anything that controls our lives other than the Lord could be considered a source of addiction. You may need to take what seems like drastic measures to do what God says in Psalm 1:1 and 2 Timothy 2:22 for the purpose of avoiding and resisting temptation.

Addiction: Who’s In Control? (Part 1)

This is a two-part blog, prompted by the feature article in the September 2017 issue of National Geographic titled “The Science of Addiction – How new discoveries about the brain can help us kick the habit.”  Part 1 of this blog describes how pervasive the problem of addiction has become. In contrast, we will look at the amazing hope that comes by understanding the problem in light of the Scriptures.  Part 2 will explain the biblical steps one can take to have victory over addiction.

The Summer of Disasters: Making Biblical Sense of It

With the disasters this summer, we have had to once again come to grips with unexpected death and billions of dollars in property loss.  But as believers, we have a tremendous advantage over those who don’t know Christ, when it comes to disaster preparedness in a spiritual sense.

Sitting in the Exit Row

I didn’t intend to get too philosophical about sitting in the exit row, but it was starting to help me reflect on the transitory nature of life. Having nothing but 35,000 feet of air below you creates a much different impression than traveling in a vehicle with wheels firmly in contact with the ground. 

Equifax, Hacking, and Thievery

Society has become accustomed to hearing about hacks, to the extent that we often don’t pay that much attention to them anymore, at least not until they affect us personally. 

Houston and Its Amazing Good Samaritans

We have heard a lot of references to Good Samaritans throughout the Gulf Coast in the last week – neighbors helping neighbors, people bringing their boats and rescue equipment from other states, people being carried on shoulders from their homes and being given food, clothing, and shelter elsewhere.  As difficult, massive, challenging, and long-lasting as this situation is, we have seen a virtually unprecedented turnout of Good Samaritans

Charlottesville, Slavery, and the Scriptures

Did slavery exist in Jesus’ day?  Absolutely.  Did prejudice against other cultures exist, and against women and children?  Yes.  Discrimination against the blind, the poor, and the infirm?  Definitely. Jesus and the New Testament writers acknowledged the existence of slavery, and Jesus even referred to it in some of His parables.