Worthy Words

It seemed like any other recess in sixth grade. A group of us guys were all outside playing when it happened. I overheard a girl tell one of my friends that she didn’t like me. I was devastated. Now, this wasn’t someone I particularly cared for either, but the words stung all the same. Someone didn’t like me. To be honest, that had never occurred to me before. I went home that afternoon wounded and trying to figure out what I could do differently. I learned a very important lesson that day—No matter what you do, you will never be liked by everyone. Even more important is the lesson I learned later: The most important opinion to hear is God’s voice, not the voice of people. “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). If you live your life trying to please everyone, you will only fail. Approval-seeking from others will only serve to get you in ...

But when the right time came, God sent his son, born of a woman, subject to the Law. - Galatians 4:4 (NLT) Most folks have certain traditions when it comes to Christmas gift opening. Some families open their gifts on Christmas Eve. Some families open their gifts on Christmas morning. Some spread out their gift opening over several days to extend the enjoyment. Some open them according to age. Regardless of when or how you open your Christmas presents, you sense that you are in the “right moment”. It’s intriguing to me that God’s gift to us, the birth of His son Jesus—when God became human— was just at the right moment. Not a moment too early and not a moment to late. “But when the right time came,” the Bible proclaims. Gratefully, we have the guarantee of God’s Word that Jesus did indeed come. That Jesus lived among us. That Jesus died for our sins. That Jesus conquered death and rose again. We have the benefit of Christ-followers who have gone before us. They have pass...

Shouldn’t the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords be born in a palace with all the amenities? That seems to make perfect sense, but it wasn’t the formula God used in the birth of Jesus His son. Why lies He in such mean estate Where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christian, fear: for sinners here, The silent Word is pleading. This, this is Christ the King Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary. (from What Child is This?) While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7 Jesus, the Christ, Savior of the world, entered this world under the most modest circumstances. No swank palace, just a barn and swaddling clothes. I’m confident that the God of the Universe could have arranged for at least one available room in the inn. But, He didn’t. Have you ever wondered why? I ...

All types of people have problems with anger. Has it ever happened to you? Anger is sometimes defined as “a strong feeling of displeasure.” Anger is a powerful emotion, so much so that it has been labeled a universal sin. A perfectly pleasant conversation can be ruined when your displeasure surfaces. A perfectly happy relationship can be damaged under the assault of a displeased person. And a perfectly good day can be spoiled because the boss comes in with “a strong feeling of displeasure.” Anger is tricky because, unlike fear, the Scriptures say there is an appropriate time to be angry: “In your anger do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26). You can become enraged over the mistreatment of a child or an animal, and if it is within your power, you would move to put a stop to the situation. The kind of anger that is kindled by the abuse of a helpless animal or child is not destructive. But anger that is buried or improperly expressed has lethal power. God calls that kind of anger bitterness and war...

There are 30 books of the Bible in this paragraph. Can you find them? This is a most remarkable puzzle. It was found by a gentleman in an airplane seat pocket, on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied for hours. He enjoyed it so much, he passed it on to some friends. One friend from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his john boat. Another friend studied it while playing his banjo. Elaine Taylor, a columnist friend, was so intrigued by it she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper column. Another friend judges the job of solving this puzzle so involving, she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot. That's a fact. Some people, however, will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or a scholar to see some of them at the worst. Research has shown that something in...

So many people are unable to appreciate what God is doing for them today because they're still haunted by things that happened years ago. It serves a need to remain connected enough to the past that you remember what God has done for you, but you don't want to live in the past. You need to be focused enough on the future that you're moving in the direction God wants you to go, but you don't want to live in the future. You need to learn to live in today. This day, right now, where you are — this is all you have. Some people are never been able to get past the bitterness of divorce, or have never been able to pick up the pieces after a business loss, or have never been able to get over being treated unfairly, or have never been able to forgive themselves for something they did long ago. It is this kind of thinking that dissolves a spirit of gratitude. You have to accept the fact that the past is gone. It doesn't do any good to dwell on it. This isn't b...