Sermons and Biblical Studies

Topics: Afterlife; Children; Death; Eternal Life; Expectations; Heaven References: Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16; John 14:2 Kayse, five, was more and more excited about her first day of kindergarten. Jayme, three, watched her big sister with fascination. On the Sunday before the first day of school, Kayse fell and skinned her knee. As Kayse … Continue reading “HEAVEN
AND KINDERGARTEN”

Topics: Afterlife; Children; Despair; Eternal Life; Family; God; Home; Longing; Parenting; Sadness References: Ecclesiastes 3:11; Matthew 11:28–30; John 14:1–4; 2 Corinthians 4:18; 5:1–5; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21; 22 My son, Brian, and his wife, Becky, were heading south to the Florida Keys for their fifteenth wedding anniversary. I had volunteered to housesit and watch … Continue reading “HOMESICK
AT HOME”

Topics: Beauty; Calling; Caring; Encouragement; Evangelism; Giving; Ministry; Respect; Self-image; Service; Stewardship; Talents; Witnessing References: Matthew 25:14–30; Luke 19:11–27; Romans 12:4–8; 1 Corinthians 9:22; 1 Peter 4:10 Once a month, a group of professionals armed with blow dryers, scissors, nail polish—and love—venture forth to serve those less fortunate than themselves. Hairdressers in the Marketplace (HIM), … Continue reading “MINISTERS
OF BEAUTY”

Topics: Church Attendance; Health; Worship References: Exodus 20:24; Hebrews 10:24–25 Recent studies indicate that men and women of faith live longer than people of no faith. They have fewer strokes, less heart disease, less clinical depression, better immune system function, lower blood pressure, and fewer anxiety attacks. They are also less likely to commit suicide. … Continue reading “CONNECTING
FAITH AND HEALTH”

Topics: Enemies; Spiritual Warfare; Temptation; Trials References: John 15:18–27; 16:1–4; Ephesians 6:10–18 The only way to ship fresh North Atlantic cod from Boston to San Francisco during the nineteenth century was to sail around the South American continent. That trip took months, so, as you can imagine, the first attempts to dress the cod in … Continue reading “KEEPING
COD FRESH”

Topics: Body; Creation; God’s Wisdom Reference: Romans 1:20 The average human heart pumps more than a thousand gallons a day and more than fifty-five million gallons in a lifetime. That is enough to fill thirteen supertankers. The heart never sleeps, beating 2.5 billion times in a lifetime. The lungs contain a thousand miles of capillaries. … Continue reading “THE
MIRACULOUS HUMAN BODY”

Topics: Beauty; Grace; Scars; Trials; Worth References: Mark 10:21; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 11:16–33; Ephesians 2:8–9 A Nike commercial didn’t say a word. It simply showed a series of people with one thing in common: a nasty injury or scar. There was a cowboy with a huge scar around his eye, a fellow with a … Continue reading “BEAUTY
IN THE SCARS”

Topics: Appearance; Perspective; Pride; Priorities; Sickness; Values References: Psalm 90:12; John 6:63 She’s in a hospital smock, grimacing, unkempt, and sporting a hefty bandage on her hand. And she’s on the cover of the July 2001 issue of her magazine, Rosie. When asked why she was photographed in such a state, Rosie O’Donnell said she … Continue reading “NO
TIME FOR LIPSTICK”

Topics: Freedom; Free Will; God’s Love; Goodness of God; Obedience; Physicians; Sin; Ten Commandments References: Exodus 20:1–17; Psalm 19:7–11; Ephesians 6:1–3 Last summer a surgeon operated on my foot. While rehabilitating from that, I often did exercises that hurt because I knew that working through the soreness would allow my foot to regain its usefulness. … Continue reading “NO
GOLF REMEDY”

Topics: Consequences; Discernment; Disease; Pain; Self-examination; Sickness; Spiritual Perception References: Matthew 7:1–5; Luke 12:57; John 7:24 A man went to his doctor in an acute state of anxiety. “Doctor, you have to help me; I’m dying,” he said. “Everything I touch hurts. I touch my head and it hurts. I touch my leg and it … Continue reading “WHY
EVERYTHING HURTS”