I have put God in a box by trying to figure out how God’s sovereignty fits with man’s responsibility. Our human mind can’t fully comprehend this wonderful truth. God uses my wrong choices to accomplish His will. Because God’s ways are so high, I don’t understand it. Judges 14 shows how Samson’s unwise decisions accomplished…
Life goes better when we follow directions. Our car lasts longer when we service it according to owner’s manual. Staying under the speed limit eliminates tickets. We lose our employment if we don’t follow company guidelines. Disobeying our mother and father causes chaos in the home. This study will show how these principles play out in…
Children have a sense of justice and truth. While growing up, we all face situations when someone took advantage of us. After bringing home a spoiled banana from a grocery store, we demand a refund. When a movie doesn’t live up to its billing, we feel cheated. Our life insurance policy doesn’t cover a procedure listed in the small…
How many times have you gotten in trouble by making a quick decision? You may face a major financial purchase and don’t do the proper research. A teenager may make a snap decision on who to date without learning about the character of the young man or woman. An employer may not check references of a…
For many of us, God seems far away. We don’t sense any closeness with Him. Our prayers seem to boomerang back to us without reaching God. We experience deadness in our spirit. Life is humdrum without any excitement. How can we experience the supernatural working of God and even more importantly, properly steward it so…
What gives you the most delight? If you could only save one thing from a house fire, what would it be? Would your most prized possession be family photos, a computer or antique dresser? The Psalmist said there was only one thing he deemed beautiful, delightful or good. Let’s see what he chose and why? The Psalmist said he…
Most people want to live better lives. If you go to any bookstore, there are many self-help books with advice on how to improve as a wife, husband, parent or employee. The first step in Alcoholics Anonymous is to admit you are powerless over alcohol and that your life has become unmanageable. The Psalmist surveyed humankind…
One of the most challenging things we can do is stand alone in the midst of peer pressure. Should a student cheat on a test to get a good grade like his classmates? What about telling a lie to your boss or parent so you can look good or not get in trouble? Withholding income on a tax…
Building good relationships is complicated and challenging. Life becomes so frantic that we don’t take time to listen to our spouse in marriage or give focused attention to our children. God has made women and men different, not only physically, but in their emotional life. Men want respect. Women desire love. Women’s concern is the home and men’s focus is often the…
Why does it seem hard to live a good life? We experience fear, shame and then try to control others. A prior blog encouraged us to repent of our sin, but even that seems difficult. We know what we are supposed to do, be we just can’t get the motivation or power to do it. What…
How do you respond to tough times like a divorce, job loss, soured relationship or addiction we can’t overcome? In our heart, we want to be available to help others, but these trials keep us self-focused so it becomes difficult to serve our fellow man. Are our good works sufficient without the power of God? God uses human hands as instruments to…
Sometimes our life feels like it’s caving in. God seems distant. We aren’t sure He’s real. God doesn’t seem present in the tough situation we are facing. The last thing we want to hear from one of our pious friends, “Everything is going to turn out alright.” What will give you confidence when life caves in…