You may read these words in the title and ask, “Are those people’s names? Or are those dinosaur names? Are they spelled correctly?” In Romans 16, Paul sends greetings to 26 individuals in the church at Rome. (Yet, he had never been there.) Reading through the names can be challenging, somewhat like a genealogical record. But it can also be a rich reminder. Some of the names in…

Many children have found themselves in a tempting situation and have given in—maybe it was a bowl of ice cream on the counter or a candy bar on a store shelf or some money sticking out of mom’s purse. For children, these are life lessons to learn from, but it’s “kids’ stuff.” For Christian adults, the tempting situations get bigger and the consequences…

Who is your Best Friend? He’s the One who bears all of our sins and griefs! He’s the one who eases our trials, temptations, trouble, sorrows and weakness! He’s the One who is the strong refuge for the weak and heavy-laden, who will take you in His arms and shield you! What a Friend! Truly, there’s not a Friend like Jesus! He’s the One who can heal all…

Reading the Bible slowly and considering each phrase is fun. Do you ever stop to wonder how God chose to word certain things in certain passages? Psalm 100 is a well-known text. The very center of the psalm states, “It is He who made us.” Why doesn’t it state it more simply as, “He made us”? Consider the significance of the text saying, “It is HE who…

On Sunday morning, when the women arrived at Jesus’ tomb and found it empty, two angels (Luke 24:4) announced to them that Jesus was risen from the dead, “as He said” that He would (Matt. 28:6). “And they remembered His words,” for Jesus had taught His disciples, “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified,…

Various ones throughout the Bible were given the same encouraging, bolstering, motivating message. Abraham was told: “God is with you” (Gen. 21:22). Isaac was told: “the Lord is with you” (Gen. 26:28). Israel was told: “the Lord your God is with you” (Deut. 20:1). Joshua was told: “the Lord your God is with you” (Josh. 1:9). Gideon was told: “The Lord is with you” (Judg. 6:12). King Saul…

It’s been 3,000 years since David penned the majority of the book of Psalms, but oh how relevant his words still are today! Have you ever felt the way that David felt in Psalm 56? Could these be your words? “Man would swallow me up…he oppresses me…My enemies hound me all day…fight against me…All day they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me…

The devoted father awoke on that lazy Saturday morning surrounded by his family. His beautiful wife and young children were all lounging in the bed that morning, laughing and giggling and talking about the day ahead. But the father was thinking. Thinking deeply. He’d been putting something off for a long time. Too long. He picked up the phone and called the preacher where he had attended…