“After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it” (Luke 2:43). Bob and Janice had five kids. When they go on any trip, Benjamin, the youngest, always sleeps under the seat in their mini van. In the rush of preparing

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12-13). I’ve observed a principle: The pathway to leadership almost always

“She said to the king, ‘the report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I

“Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us” (Luke 11:4). “I’m sorry for speaking to you harshly last night,” I said. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me to add the second and most important part of my admission. “Will you forgive me?” Without this request we have only partially repented

“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not,

“If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God” (Ps.

“Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord-Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here-has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 9:1). Billy Graham, the great evangelist, shared

“On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, ‘No! He is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘there is no one among your relatives who has that name.’” (Luke 1:59-61). Have you ever

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5). Have you ever argued with God? One of the first sermons Jesus ever gave was from a boat. It was Simon Peter’s boat. Jesus used a businessman’s business to preach

“I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matt 11:11-12). John the Baptist did no miracles. Elijah performed miracle after miracle. Daniel interpreted dreams for kings and he and

“Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isa 64:8). The Father, Son and Holy Spirit make up three distinct aspects of the God-head. Each of these persons form the trinity and contribute to the overall work of God. The

“The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD” (1 Sam 3:19-20). When I was 14 years old I was an exceptional junior golfer. This is

“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Gal 2:20). It took three nails to crucify our Savior to the cross. God says that if we are to allow Christ to live through us then the old man must be crucified. We can each voluntarily crucify our

“Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them” (Matt 21:2-3). In Bible times, donkeys were a primary means for distributing goods

“Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7). Charis, my sixteen-year-old daughter at the time, was now driving age. She had saved her hard-earned money to match her father’s contribution to buy her first car. It was time to begin

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). James Rutz, author of MegaShift, tells a wonderful story of God’s supernatural hand in answering prayer. “I have a good friend named Barclay Tait who sells vacation real estate in Niceville, Florida. Back in 1977, he was a 36-year-old Florida basketball coach. That

“LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; youhave made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me inpleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance” (Ps 16:5-6). Most of us will have many jobs over our lifetime. As I look back over my past, I’ve had quite a varied history

“When the Philistines heard that David had been crowned king of Israel, they tried to capture him; but David was told that they were coming and went into the stronghold. The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. Then David asked the Lord, ‘shall I go out and fight against them? Will

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD” (Ps

“This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6). I have always found the above verse very intimidating. It says that if we are truly living in Christ, we must walk as Jesus did. How did Jesus walk? He healed the

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov 3:5- 6). I travel a lot. One of the greatest modern-day inventions I’ve appreciated most is the GPS system for cars. GPS stands for Global Positioning

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25-26). It didn’t take long for non-believers to realize I was different in the secular workplaces where I’ve worked. I didn’t participate in the jokes, the dirty language, or criticism of management. I didn’t

“Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart” (Ps 36:10). Someone once said, “Success is when those who know you the best are those who love you the most.” Years ago a self-assessment tool was developed by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingram called the Johari window. The Johari

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:3-5). In the work world, we are trained to press through obstacles, no matter the cost. However, perseverance that

“Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter? When you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” (Is 58:7). For many years, I have read this passage without responding to it personally. I read it

“For nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). I walked into the doctor’s office for my pre-opt visit. The doctor came in and told me all about my procedure of arthroscopic knee surgery. “So, doc. I have been told this is pretty routine. If that is the case, I have a golf outing I am

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned;struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body” (2 Cor. 4:8-10). It’s hard to find anyone in

“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know” (Acts 2:22). In his book, When Heaven Invades Earth, Pastor Bill Johnson makes an insightful observation about Jesus. “He could not heal

“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands” (2 John 6). A distinguished Indian evangelist named Sadhu Chellappa was on a mission trip to a village north of Madras, when in the middle of the night he suddenly sensed God speaking to him: “Leave this house quickly and run away!” Not

“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things” (Isa 45:7). God will use pain in order to create a love relationship with His creation. This statement may challenge your theology. However, consider that God allowed Jesus to experience incredible pain in order to

“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’” At once they left their nets and followed him (Matt 4:19-20). Do you recall how good it felt when you were chosen to be on a team? It makes one feel special to be preferred over another. During the time of Jesus