The Israelites who returned from the Babylonian captivity started with such promise but ended up dishonoring God (Mal. 1:6-7). What happened?

We know Samson from his failures. He married outside his faith community, against his parents’ wishes; he sought the company of prostitutes; he revealed God’s secret to his strength.  However, God listed Samson in the hall of faith . . .

I confess these verses confused me as a new believer. At that time, I read the Bible as disjointed stories, like stitching together thousands of Sunday school lessons.

In that light, the story of Jesus shining in His glory . . . .

 Passover, the feast at which Jesus was crucified and rose again, begins tomorrow.  So, this seems like a good time to confess that for years I thought that Jesus cursing the fig tree was random. It seemed totally unrelated to the narrative. I’m embarrassed by this because . . .

Imagine for a moment that you live in a country without a police force or a court system. How is justice administered?

This was the case in ancient Israel. In God’s economy, . .

 Do you get depressed reading the book of Judges? I did.

Judges describes Israel’s dismal cycle of rebellion, oppression and repentance, over and over again. The nation of Israel would forget about God and . . .

The secrets to living a happy and successful life are found in this book! I am not exaggerating.

A personal relationship with God is the source of deep-seated joy and strength not found elsewhere. Just the glory . . .

I had never stopped to consider the spiritual significance of the temple being built on the threshing floor. Have you?

Solomon built the temple on Mt. Moriah where . . .

Unlike a physical mirror, the spiritual mirror has the ability to change our appearance.

The moment we . . .

You may think the book of Numbers is the most repetitive and boring book of the Bible. I used to.

However, for the hungry soul, God’s Word has multiple layers of meaning. I’ve found so many hidden treasures . . .

During worship before the evening speaker, I felt the wind of the Holy Spirit from behind me. It felt like someone had gotten too close to me with a worship flag, brushing it over my shoulder and hair. When I turned to see, there was no one with a worship flag, just more rows of worshippers.

The speaker, Randy Clarke, talked about revival and . . .

Millions of decisions and details must be considered when building a house: which floor plan; where to build; what materials; who to hire; how to pay for it. The list seems endless. Even just the furnishing and decorating phase can be overwhelming. Which sink and stove and other fixtures to choose? What flooring and furniture will coordinate well together? Whew! Building a house is a huge undertaking.

Now imagine that you are building a house for God . . .