The Bible reveals that Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).  How was He able to resist Satan’s devices and to keep Himself always well-pleasing to His Father?  From His encounter with the devil in Matthew 4, it is obvious that Jesus had made this commitment to His Father, “Your word I have hidden in…

I don’t know about you but I am amazed at the attention given to the funeral arrangements and burial of Michael Jackson. I realize that he had a great impact on our society, but I just cannot fathom all the attention being paid to him. His burial stands in marked contrast to two other burials in the Bible. The mangled body of…

We have just finished a remarkable Leadership Training Camp with some remarkable young people. This past Sunday our young ladies spoke to a ladies class and our young men spoke at our Sunday morning auditorium class and at our worship. It was thrilling to see the progress being made by each of them. Brayden Gilles challenged us to be more fruitful and…

We were sitting with a group of teenagers at dinner when the text messages started arriving one after another—“Michael Jackson has died.” We verified the reports, then drove back to the building while radio announcers lamented the unexpected death of the King of Pop.  After some time one teen inquired, “Is this what it was like when Elvis died?” Having not lived…

Our failing economy, our national security, our governmental corruption, our immoral culture, our personal struggles—it’s enough to get you down, keep you down and kick you while you’re down.  And you can spend your days and nights focusing on (i.e., worrying about) these kinds of things and drive yourself into a near panic. Or, you can focus on (i.e., enjoy and appreciate)…

Have you ever had an experience like this? In the midst of a conversation the person you are talking to says something like this, “Well, I may have said something I should not have said, but have you heard what they have been saying about me?” Responding to what others are saying about us is a major problem each of us faces.…

Summertime in South Florida means rainy afternoons.  Sometimes we find the rain, or specifically its timing, to be frustrating to our plans and activities.  However, like a string tied around a finger might be a visual reminder, let us allow the rain to cue our minds to pause long enough to remember some things. The rain should remind us of the providence…

If there is any truth affirmed in the Bible, one of those truths must be this one—God answers our prayers. Before Jesus left the earth He told His disciples, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you” (John 16:23). The apostle John heard Jesus say these words, obviously practiced them and years…