Category: Spiritual Growth
The Church of the Shrunken Heads
I could walk to the museum when I was a boy in Kansas City. Of all the wonders I saw there, the shrunken head was the most alluring. I could envision how it was made to shrink. It was inset in the wall, blackened, menacing, exotic,...
The Dog That Yelped
Most boys of my generation did it. It was frowned upon then too, even if not as much as today. But, I confess, we did it. These days, dogs are confined to the yard. But when we were young the dogs ran the neighborhoods of suburban...
Love – More!
You can never love too much. You can dote too much, cuddle too much, stare at a picture too much, and even fix more cookies than are acceptable, but you cannot love too much. Paul emphasized this to believers in Thessalonica: Now as to the love...
Hearing Aids for Believers
Let’s face it-sometimes it is hard to get much out of the sermon or teaching you receive in your church. While some of the blame often lies at the feet of the presenter, it is still the obligation of the listener to scratch for something nourishing...
Getting the Most Out of the Public Reading of Scripture
Some of the ladies of the first church I pastored started digging around in their purses the moment I announced the passage of Scripture I was going to read. It was a nearly synchronized hunt for a piece of gum. Usually, they offered a piece to...
A Revival of the Public Reading of Scripture
I’m risking sounding old-fashioned, uninventive, or the promoter of something that “just won’t work these days,” but here’s my conviction: We should read even large sections of Scripture when the church meets. A Concise Biblical History Throughout the Bible, God expected His people to hear His...
Better Prayer Meetings and Prayer Groups: Less Confusion, More Communion
Most of us have experienced both “good” and “bad” prayer meetings. Eventually we may find out that the “good prayer meeting” which seemed to go very well was actually tainted. Those who prayed sounded spiritual, but they were full of pride. And Peter tells us, “God...
What it Means to Pray in the Name of Jesus
“If you ask anything in my name,” Jesus promised, “I will do it.” (John 14:14). What incredible confidence this should infuse into our prayers! But do we tap the power and potency of heaven simply by tacking the words “in Jesus’ name” onto the end of...
What It Was Like: Geography and Culture Make a Difference
I recently returned from a trip to Israel. The purpose for the trip was to create mental images in the minds of my students of that part of the world where so much Bible history took place. As we hiked down Judean hills, traversed the barren...
Why You Don’t Read Your Bible
To go through life as a professing believer without taking in the Word of God is like trying to drive across the country without a road. You won’t make it. It’s like saying, “I’m not really interested in God at all.” People who don’t have any...
