“Why am I hungry, Mamma?” the little boy’s voice pierced the darkness. His mother sighed. “Yahweh has provided manna for us; it comes from God’s very hand.” “But I’m tired of manna. It’s all we ever have, and it’s not very filling.” Again the mother’s sigh. “You sound just like your father, always wanting what you do not have.” The Old Testament Israelites did their … Read More
One of the most helpful analogies I ever heard regarding the fruit of the Spirit was to think of the fruit of the Spirit as toolbox. Inside were tools for every situation. You wouldn’t send a hammer to do the job of screwdriver, nor would you attempt to saw a board with a wrench. Likewise, when you enter into challenging … Read More
James gave some of the best advice ever on communication when he penned, Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:19-20) This is especially necessary in our family relationships. The author is unknown, but I have found the simple acrostic ladder to be helpful … Read More
In sixth grade my parents got me a biology kit. My 12-year-old friends all got chemistry kits, but I think my parents were afraid I might blow up the house, so I received a biology kit–complete with shrimp-like creatures, fruit flies, and a frog to dissect. Perhaps you remember dissection from your high school biology class. You cut, you observe, … Read More
Have you ever felt like you only do what you do because somebody else did what they did? In four brief paragraphs author Paul Tripp brings insights that are at once clarifying and convicting. Read them first, then go read Romans 7:14-25, and then read them again. While he applies these thoughts to regret in the middle of your life … Read More
He was from Nigeria, but I met him in Hungary. I was teaching for five days, and he was one of fifty international students studying the Bible in an old communist castle. Over lunch one day, he asked me the question: “Is it right for me to marry an American woman, and expect her to return with me to Nigeria?” … Read More
I learned a helpful poem when I was younger. But only recently did I begin to use it as an instrument to analyze personal temptations. I had six faithful friends, They taught me all I knew Their names were: how and what and why When and where and who. Next time you find yourself falling to a particularly stubborn temptation, analyze … Read More
Peace-making is rarely confused with peace-breaking, but it is often confused with peace-keeping. When I first traveled to Bosnia in 2001 on a humanitarian aid effort I got a good look at peace-keeping. The United Nations had divided up the land between the Bosnians and Serbians. Without a doubt there were heinous crimes committed during their civil war. There had not been an … Read More
“Never stop praying for hopeless cases. The example of Howard Cadle teaches us there are none.” That’s the way Robert J. Morgan begins one of his stories in his very helpful book Moments for Families with Prodigals. If you are a parent or spouse living with the ever-present pain of a prodigal reading one to two pages in this book a day … Read More
As parents we may wonder what effect the raising of Godly children who can distinguish between right and wrong and have the self-control to make the right choice, will have on our society. Researcher Doug Dale studied two families whose roots went back to the 18th century. The first family began when Max Jukes and his brother married sisters. They … Read More
