Two sisters went driving Sunday afternoons with the goal of getting lost. Taking random turns at intersections, trying new roads, going farther and farther afield, they had an adventure each week.  The starting and ending points were the same, but the path was always different. Is this how the path to heaven is? This is…

If life is a flight through time, who is in the cockpit? If life is a joyride, who is behind the wheel? If life is a voyage, who is at the helm? Decisions determine direction (Joshua 24:15). Direction determines destiny (Matthew 7:13–14). Will we ascend or descend at the judgment? It depends on who makes…

1. God is self-existent and eternal; He had no beginning and will have no end (Genesis 1:1; 21:33; Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 90:2). 2. God is the creator of all things, including mankind (Genesis 1:1–2:1; Exodus 20:11; Acts 17:26–28). 3. God is Almighty God; He is omnipotent (possessing all power) (Genesis 17:1; 18:14). 4. God is…

Currently, the hottest pepper is officially the Carolina Reaper, cultivated by “Smokin” Ed Currie in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The official 2017 Guinness World Record heat level was 1,641,183 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Is your good influence detectable in a crowd? Jesus spoke of influence in the Sermon on the Mount: “You are the salt…

“MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.” 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9  Because the Jews had defended it so fanatically, the Roman general Pompey was anxious to see what was in the temple’s most sacred room, the Holy of Holies. He was surprised to find it empty. He wondered why so…

A funny story came out of the old Brooklyn Dodgers football team in the early years of professional football.  George Cafego played halfback for the Dodgers. One day they were playing the New York Giants, and Cafego brought the ball upfield on a punt return.  This was just moments before the first half ended, and…

Lovely works of art are often marred by accumulations of dirt and grime. Specialists are employed to restore them to their original beauty. They carefully remove the foreign matter that obscures the painting’s true nature. Fine furniture can become worn and damaged. Its beauty is hidden by tattered upholstery and layers of paint. To see…

Christians are not subject to man-made rules. Paul warned against commandments of men such as, “Do not touch . . . taste . . . handle” (Colossians 2:21–22). Such rules, he said, “have an appearance of wisdom” in man-made religion but are of no value in restraining fleshly indulgence (2:23).  Jesus rebuked those who were…

The book of Proverbs is filled with passages about parenting. Proverbs 29:15 says, “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” This passage shows the effects of both good and bad parenting. God did not create man to train himself by his own wisdom. Paul wrote,…

In my opinion, the two greatest dangers in the Lord’s church today are that of ignorance and inactivity. Proper knowledge and actions are absolutely essential for a congregation to please the Lord. Consider that… …if a church does not have any biblical knowledge or any activity, then it is dead (or near-dead, anyway). In Revelation…