“Men ought always pray and not lose heart.”  These words of Jesus (Luke 18:1) are followed with his parable of the persistent widow, which illustrates the importance of our commitment to prayer. Prayer is a partnership.  The Holy Spirit prompts us to pray about...

Nehemiah 8:1-3 “Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel.  So Ezra the priest brought the Law before...

Imagine if you were one of the shepherds tending your flock of sheep on the hills outside the town of Bethlehem.  It had been a typical day of long hours and hard work and you were ready to settle down for a night of well-deserved rest, when suddenly an angel appeared...

Matthew 3:1-2 “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” You probably heard the report that came out this week of another high-profile Christian artist who hedged when asked...

2 Samuel 2:14 “Then Abner said to Joab, ‘Let the young men now arise and compete before us.’  And Joab said, ‘Let them arise.’” I confess, this story makes me angry.  The Jewish nation was divided over a difference of opinion of who should be the king.  There were...

I read an interesting question in our adult Sunday school curriculum: “Is there a link between faith and courage?"  (To what extent will trust in God's Word impact my choosing the difficult path over the easy path?)   It is a great question.  I think of faith as...