Live Honestly
As children grow up, we who are parents or leaders pray that they will learn to discriminate more and more between right and wrong. But be prepared! Eventually these children will compare our actions with our words. If what we do and what we say don't match up, they will be confused, not knowing which to follow—our actions or our words.
Not Just Knowing
The young salesman approached the farmer and excitedly told him about the great book he was selling. He said it had all the information needed to run a profitable farm: when to sow, when to reap, how to predict the weather, how to care for livestock—everything that would make any farmer a success.
Surprised To Be Here?
It was early February 2000. My wife and I had just flown into Palm Springs, California, for the funeral of a family member. At the airport, a couple we had never met asked us if we were associated with RBC Ministries. They had overheard my name at the car rental counter where they were standing. When the woman learned that I was with RBC, she said, "We are Christians too." Then she asked, "Are you surprised to still be here?"
Singing And Prayer
In our Bible-study group, we were examining the first five chapters of the book of Revelation. We spent time talking about the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders who sang a new song when they heard that the Lamb was worthy to open the seven-sealed scroll (Revelation 5:9-10).
Do We Have Enough?
No matter how much we accumulate, it seems we never have enough. The more we have, the more we want. It's a phenomenon a friend of mine calls the Barbie-doll law: "Accessories once considered optional become mandatory, creating needs and wants we never thought of before." More often than not, we come to the end of every endeavor and acquisition vaguely discontented and unhappy.
Little Or Much
Each generation raises the contentment bar, it seems. With every new technological advance, we seem to need more and more things to be satisfied. My parents' generation knew nothing of a family having more than one car, but my generation grew up expecting to have one at their disposal. When I was growing up, we didn't even have computers, but I hear young people today complaining because the one they have isn't the latest model.
The Bread Of Life
On World Communion Sunday, our pastor used a simple object lesson to make a powerful point. Instead of the usual bread for the Lord's Supper, a large basket on the Communion table held an amazing variety of loaves. When the bread was distributed to the congregation, some of us received part of a tortilla while others took a bit of pumpernickel, pita, chapati, or rye. Bread from around the world reminded us of our unity with believers in Christ everywhere who were remembering the Lord's death.
Profitable Knowledge
The Bible is unlike any other book. It was given by God's inspiration and is His revelation to man. On its pages we find everything we need to know to receive salvation and to live for the Lord. Paul declared that it "is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).
Reading the Gospels
The word gospel means good news, and that must be taken seriously. This week, join the Discover the Word group as Bill leads Mart and Elisa and Daniel in conversations about how the four New Testament gospel accounts of Jesus bring good news, and how we can understand that good news more thoroughly. These four writers had a purpose in mind,…
