A telephone surveyor called the office this week and one of his questions was, “Are you single, married or cohabiting?”  Beyond the fact that such a question to a preacher is amusing (or maybe it’s not these days) is the reality that our society is in full acceptance of “cohabiting” as a conventional living arrangement (whether temporary or permanent).  Much is implied…

Jesus sat down next to a well in Samaria one day around noon, and a woman came to draw water.  Much to her surprise, Jesus began to speak to the woman.  “How isit that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (John 4:9).  I’m not sure if her emphasis was on the word “Samaritan,” on the word…

I heard of a company that, in order to cut costs, started cutting back on their products, reducing sizes and volumes.  (You’ve probably seen evidence of other companies doing that-we’re paying more but getting less in some cases.)  The problem was that one of this company’s products was a twelve inch ruler.  Since they had made an across-the-board decision that every product…

Sometimes when we try to describe God, the right words are hard to find and put together to truly represent our hearts.  I like the way David took one word (a simple but profound word) in Psalm 145:3 and used it three times to describe God:  “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.” Why don’t…

There are those who are inside Christ, through their obedience to the gospel, having been “baptized into Christ” (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27).  As Christians (those who are inside Christ), we have a responsibility to monitor how we behave and the influence we have upon those who are also inside Christ.  But, the extent of our influence stretches beyond, into the realm of…

Frustrations, disappointments and anxieties come at us from all directions.  When our cup starts filling up, we know that something must be done.  But, when our cup is full and then endlessly running over, our blood pressure starts running over with it and sometimes “gets the better of us.”  So, when life’s frustrations, disappointments and anxieties intensify, what should we do? We…

Some fear that if someone makes comments like–“I’d rather be in heaven right now,” or “I wish I could just go to heaven,” or something similar to these–that he has a death wish or is having suicidal or unhealthy thoughts.  Such is not necessarily the case.  Think about these words. Paul said, “For I am hard pressed between [living and dying], having…

Writers of Scripture often reflected on their relationship with God “from their mother’s womb.”  “You are He who took Me out of the womb” (Psa. 22:9-10; cf. 71:6; Gal. 1:15). Even from within the womb (before one was “out of the womb”), there is recognition of a life and relationship with God.  “From My mother’s womb You have been My God” (Psa.…