This past Sunday I preached on the subject, What You Feel When You Fail (Luke 22:31-34, 54-62) and what we feel is characterized in the statement about Peter after he failed, “He went outside and wept bitterly” (v. 62). We all know how that feels for we have all failed (in some way). The good news is that we are in good company…For example—·       George Washington surrendered at Fort Necessity du...  Read More

The prophet Zechariah tells us: Do not despise the day of small things (Zechariah 4:10). Here is why: The small things you do can make a big difference.In the latter days of World War II, an American B-17 bomber flew a mission over Germany. The plane was riddled by shells and flak, with some of the hits directly in the fuel tank. Amazingly, the plane did not explode and was somehow able to fly hom...  Read More

“The Bible is a harbor where I can drop my anchor, feeling certain that it will hold.” (C.H. Spurgeon)The Word of God for a Christian means this: You can believe it and build your life on it. Also, you can understand it and stand by it. “The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Psalm 119:7). The word “trustworthy” in the Hebrew is a participle of the verb from which we ge...  Read More

“Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).Author L.B. Cowan shares the fable of how birds got wings. She writes:The story goes that initially birds were made without wings. Then God made the wings, set them down before the wingless birds and said to them, “Take up the...  Read More

One day Jesus was walking along on his way to Jerusalem when two blind men began yelling at him. The Bible says, “Two blind men shouted ‘Lord, have mercy on us!’ Jesus stopped and called them, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’” (Matthew 20:30-32). Notice the word stopped. Jesus stopped. Jesus was willing to stop—to be interrupted. We must be as well. So much of Jesus’ ministry and so many of Hi...  Read More

“In that day you will say…‘Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid’” (Isaiah 12:1-2). Isaiah is writing: One day this is what you will say…What is he talking about? Well, Isaiah, the 8th century B.C. prophet in Jerusalem, is speaking to the people of Judah. The nation was facing threatening forces outside its borders. Dangerous and imposing enemies had risen. The Northern Kingdo...  Read More