“It’s not God who sends people to hell; they send themselves.” That’s like saying, “Teachers don’t punish students who misbehave; they punish themselves.” Allow me to revert back to my third-grade self for a moment. As a student who was disciplined for talking in class, I can guarantee that I never punished myself. My teacher […]
We’re taking a look at some well-known thoughts that we tend to misinterpret biblically. “God is good, and God is love, therefore He wouldn’t send anyone to hell.” God doesn’t desire to send anyone to hell. That’s why He sent Himself—in the human form of His Son, Christ, to die for our sins so we […]
Let’s take a look at some well-known thoughts that we tend to misinterpret biblically. “God loves me like I am.” God accepts us as we are, and He saves us as we are. But He loves us far too much to leave us where we are. We’re born with sin. And while many Christians have […]
It’s easy for me to get excited about spending eternity with Christ in heaven. But I’m also excited about something that comes before that: The Millennium. It’s the 1,000 years that we’ll get to live on earth with Christ in charge. Scripture tells us it will be a peaceful time. Christ will set His foot […]
Imagine this scene: It’s Sunday morning. People are gathering and finding a seat in your church. The music begins as some are still chatting in the aisles. Everyone joins in the familiar song. Excitement fills the sanctuary. God’s presence is among His children. Praise is lifted from the instruments as well as from hearts throughout […]
The Israelites—God’s chosen people—were in bondage a long time. “Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years” (Exodus 12:40 NIV). The Israelites were slaves of Pharaoh, and he treated them harshly. He had them beaten and forced them to make bricks in the hot sun. They were tired, thirsty, […]
Throughout Scripture we’re often reminded of how God displays Himself through nature. We’re told that the trees of the fields will someday clap their hands in praise to Him. We read that every living thing will rejoice in our heavenly Father. One of the most exciting places I’ve seen God revealed in glorious nature is […]
We speak anywhere from 120 to 150 words per minute. I tend to speak fast. I’m afraid if I slow down, I’ll get bored and check out. Ha! I’m more engaged when listening to a speaker who pushes the pace. It motivates me to pay closer attention. The “Love Chapter” (1 Corinthians 13) from the […]
The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., contains 28 million books. That’s a lot of words! The largest bookstore in the world is the Barnes and Noble in New York City. It has 12 miles of shelves. Again . . . lots of words! The most prolific writer in the world is Brazilian author Ryoki […]
We love to defend ourselves—verbally, physically, emotionally—and sometimes that’s OK. But many of us have become so accustomed to defending ourselves, we have begun to defend our sins. This damages our heart. Christ yearns for His children to have tender hearts. Teachable and trainable hearts. Moldable hearts. He even wants to transform our hearts. “Create […]