Alright, I confess, I can be a worrier.  It seems like there is always something that I am anxious about.  It has always been this way.  When I was a kid, I was gripped with worry that the killer bees were going to come up from Mexico any day to take me out!  Now, there…

Grace is such a freeing word.  Most of life is about working for something.  We work for paychecks.  We work for the approval of others.  We work for good health.  We work for raises and bonuses.  Because we are so used to working for stuff.  The idea of God’s grace on our behalf is very…

Studying the Bible can be extremely rewarding.  Digging into the Scriptures brings about wisdom, truth, grace, and peace.  When you start to understand and apply the truths you learn for yourself from your Bible study, it is very powerful.  This is because the Spirit of God gives us light into understanding and into how we…

A passion of mine is Christian education.  I enjoy thinking about how God transforms people through the study, teaching, and application of His word.  Sunday School leaders are teachers and facilitators of this type of growth.  Most of us who have walked with God for any length of time have been greatly impacted by a…

Have you ever been stuck in a rut spiritually?  Have your devotions ever been inconsistent, rushed, or scattered?  Maybe you are there now.  All of us feel this way from time to time because walking with God takes time, encouragement, discipline, and lots of grace.  This is where it is important to pray that God…

God’s word is living and active (Heb. 4:12) and when it goes out, it does not come back empty, but accomplishes the purposes for which it was sent (Isa 55).  It teaches us in godliness, it corrects us when we are off track, and God uses it to train us in righteousness.  Mediation on God’s…

Jesus said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28).  Meditation is a key link between hearing and keeping God’s word.  As we think over a verse or passage, God begins to sink its truths deep into our souls.  Meditation is slowing down to think deeply about a…

Discipline is necessary for the Christian.  But it must be discipline by and through grace and not discipline for the purpose of working for God’s grace.  We discipline ourselves by the power of Christ through the motivation that comes by the Spirit of grace.  When we work to earn God’s grace by our discipline, we get…

We are saved by grace and we continue the Christian life through grace.  God is the one who supplies grace for everything.  We often are quick to acknowledge that we are saved by grace–and we rejoice in this!  But all too often we can forget that our discipline in the Christian life is by grace as…

The Word of God is living and active.  God uses his word to encourage us in the faith, challenge us, and speek to the deepest part of our souls.  A daily Bible reading program is a practical way to consistently take in God’s Word.  I often need a good plan in order to stay consistent…