"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32 NKJVIn 1982, John Hinckley Jr. attempted to take the life of President Ronald Reagan by shooting him with a handgun. Reagan's daughter, Patti, later recounted what she learned from her father when he was in hospital: "My father said he knew his physical healing was directly dependent o...  Read More

"Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes." Proverbs 19:2 NLTIf you are impulsive, you tend to lack discipline. You can be thoughtless, or insensitive to others, or driven by appetite. You may have a hard time with delayed gratification. You have a low frustration tolerance. You get bored easily. You can fly off the handle. If this describes you, here are six principles you sh...  Read More

"As He is, so are we in this world." 1 John 4:17 NKJVWhen you put your trust in Christ as your Savior, God sees you "in Christ." The words "in Christ" appear no less than seventy-eight times in the New Testament. When God looks at you, He doesn't see you with all your flaws and imperfections; He sees you in Christ. And since Christ has atoned for all your sins, you are "accepted in the beloved" (E...  Read More

"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" Isaiah 26:3 NLTYour thoughts create your feelings, and your feelings dictate your approach to life. So by changing the way you think, you can change how you feel and how you approach life. Unlike the world, which teaches you to empty your mind to achieve peace, God's way is to fill your mind with fresh, pow...  Read More

"Worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins," Hebrews 10:2 NKJVTo become a worshiper in the fullest sense requires two things. First, an understanding that God's love toward you is not predicated on your love toward Him. The moment you accept Christ as your Savior, God accepts you and clothes you in the righteousness of Christ; therefore, you are always worthy to appro...  Read More

"The Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." Mark 18:20The book of Mark concludes this way: "They went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." Understanding the will of God is not a precise science, and the most spiritually mature among us can get it wrong. But this much you can count on: God will us...  Read More

"I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3 NKJVAfter four hundred years of living as slaves in Egypt, the Israelites struggled with low self-esteem. So, God said to them, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt" (vv. 3-4 NKJV). Notice the words "built" and "rebuilt." How can you bui...  Read More

"Bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord." Ephesians 6:4 NLTPlanting a seed is only the first of a season's worth of steps. There is watering, fertilizing, weeding, and protecting the struggling plant from pests, diseases, storms, and adverse weather. Many flowers and vegetables require stakes, cages, and other supports to help them stand tall and bear their frui...  Read More

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 NIVThe first step to getting what you want in life is knowing what you want. Jesus said, in essence, "The key to getting what you want out of life is to focus on what I want for your life." Note the words "seek first." This word "seek" means "to strive for diligently" or "to desire s...  Read More