8God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we …
Intimacy…Known…Chosen… Set apart…Desired These words all reflect the tenor of Paul’s opening sentence to the believers in Ephesus. As I read all the ways I am known by God, the lengths he went to in order to guarantee a relationship with me, my heart is stirred. The best gifts I ever received all have one …
Sychronized movement captivates me. Whether it is perfectly timed dancing or sychronized swimming, the essential nature of being completely in tune with the other participants fascinates me. Perhaps my fascination is because I am not overly coordinated in that area. There is another arena where absolute sychronization creates a beautiful dance to behold. Paul says …
I moved away from home when I was eighteen years old. I first attended Bible college and then volunteered for a year working for a mission agency. Immediately following my year of service, I was married. We located in the midwest and I never moved back to my childhood home to live for longer than …
Rules have a place. If you or someone in your home is a football fan, this is an exciting time of year — the NFL playoffs. Without rules, the football field would be chaotic. Even with rules in place to govern play, the players routinely push the limits. This is evidenced by the number of …
21I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. Galatians 2:21 In what way do I treat the grace of God as meaningless? I think there are more ways to do that than is …
Everyone struggles with something. It might be pride, recognition, approval or a dozen other issues. When I meet someone who overcomes what I struggle with, I am in awe. How does he do so easily what causes me so much struggle? The Apostle Paul is one such person for me. Saul, whom we first meet …
The day started fine. I enjoyed the luxury of sleeping a bit longer, then grabbed my coffee and headed to the lanai to read and pray. I picked up a book I bought several weeks ago and began reading. After about an hour, I realized I was no longer remembering what I read. I layed …
I admit — I am a bit of a brain geek. A keen interest in the brain and how it functions drives me to read books on the brain. The really great news is that the brain has an elastic property about it that enables it to heal and change with the proper treatment, supplements …
4But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 1 John 4:4 Bullies operate on the premise of fear. Igniting fear by claiming to be bigger, scarier, faster and more …