When someone is a guest on a talk show, before going out, they wait in the “green room.” Before a band takes the stage, they gather in the “green room.” Before a politician offers a speech, he waits off stage, out of sight, in the – you guessed it – “green room.” So why is…
“And this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God” (John 17:3). There is this dichotomy in life. On one side we have what we love, but on the other side we have how we live. For those mired in addiction, this becomes a daily battle. I love my God, yet…
Bubba drove his family into the big city for the first time. Their first stop was a four-star, 20-story hotel. As they entered the lobby, an elderly woman with a cane entered an elevator. Of course, Bubba and his family had never seen an elevator before, so they just assumed the lady was walking into…
I came across an interesting quote the other day: “Sometimes the most loving thing we can do for someone who has had a relapse is to not sound loving.” The prophet said it like this: “The Lord spoke to me with a strong hand” (Isaiah 8:11). You know someone who is struggling in their addiction.…
In His Utmost for My Highest, Oswald Chambers writes, “God providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide – for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.” When a crisis hits, you…
Tom Dula lived deep in the North Carolina Appalachians. Dula was known as a ladies’ man, and he had an on-again, off-again relationship with a woman named Anne Foster. The problem was that Foster was married to another man. Rather than break off the relationship, Dula continued to see Ms. Foster, as well as her…
There are different ways to settle elections. What we saw in the presidential vote a few months ago continues to lead to dissention on both sides. Maybe they have figured out a better plan in Dickinson, Texas. The Houston suburb of about 22,000 citizens held a mayoral race in November. No candidate received 50 percent…
Have you ever tried to manipulate God? Maybe you asked God for something, but then you set out to help him answer your prayer. Comedian Emo Philips said, “I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked God for forgiveness.” While I don’t…
One of my truisms in life is this: seek answers and you will be frustrated; seek God and answers will find you. J.I. Packer said, “There is no more compelling goal than knowing God.” And the prophet said, “I desired the knowledge of God more than burn offerings” (Hosea 6:6). You will never find lasting…
You have a past. But far more importantly, you have a future. And in order to have a better future, you need to quit trying to have a better past. Author Jason Versey observed, “Even a spineless anthropod sheds what’s no longer useful and leaves it behind.” I have come to believe that our past…