Category: Spiritual Growth
Be Faithful unto Death
The second church in Revelation chapter 2, the church at Smyrna, received sobering news from John: they were soon to suffer severe persecution. Some would be imprisoned for their faith, and some would be put to death (Rev. 2:8-11). The message to this church, conveyed through...
Christ and a Bible: The Amazing Story of Bill Beery
My brother pastored an unconverted man on the rolls of the church. When it was discovered, some of the men in the church began to share Christ with him and soon he became a true believer in Christ. His name was Bill Beery, a direct relative...
His Truth Will Triumph Through Us
“We will not fear for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.” This victorious line is found in the English version of Martin Luther’s famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” It has often bolstered my faith. The truth is bigger than you...
Paraphrasing Scripture as a Way to Meditate
Like a beautiful landscape or a good song, the riches of biblical literature can be experienced in multiple ways. You can read it closely, pencil in hand. You can memorize it, mulling over the verses. You can listen to it taught. Or you can simply lie...
What Do You Do When You Have Nothing to Do?
You probably have more free time than you think you do. By “free time,” I mean time that is not already allocated for some scheduled, necessary, daily or weekly routine type of activity—in other words, time when you are free to choose what to do, with...
The Value of Putting First Things Last
When the word “but” is used in a sentence to show a contrast between two true statements, the second statement is intuitively assigned the greater weight of influence by the reader, writer, hearer, or thinker. You may never have thought of this before, but you use...
That is Not the Way You Learned Christ
Have you ever felt the lure of your old life before Christ? Maybe you ran into some friends who knew you before you became a Christian and their talk of having fun enticed you, or someone you dated before seems interested in reconnecting with you. Paul...
There’s a Place for You in the Church: The Story of a Boy Who Couldn’t Learn
Don McClure was a missionary in Eastern Africa from 1928 until 1977, when he was shot and killed by militants in eastern Ethiopia. While living in one particular village, he and his wife, Lyda, provided schooling and housing for boys. One year, they were expecting 80,...
Resurrection Now
I remember once, before I was a believer in Jesus, when I looked at pornography. I wanted to do it. As my hand moved the mouse, my mind got dark and cloudy, my head throbbed, and I hardened my heart and yielded to the driving desires...
Obedient from the Heart
Why do you think Jesus can confidently say “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27)? Or, how can he say “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15)? How can John confidently say, “By this...
