If you’re planning to buy roses for your wife or girlfriend on Valentine’s Day, good for you! I know she will enjoy them.

However, as I explained recently to my good friend Ron, I’ve concluded that roses are a horrible depiction of true love. When Ron told me of his plans to give his girlfriend a dozen red roses, I suggested that he might want to reconsider.

“What are you talking about, Jim?” he responded incredulously. “Women love roses!”

“Perhaps…

Don’t underestimate kindness

There are many ways in which God leads a person to repent and turn from sin that breaks his law and his heart, building and storing up God’s wrath.  Sin is toxic to our spiritual health, so much so that God hates it. But ironically, according to Romans 2:4, he often uses combinations of revealing his goodness, patient tolerance (by withholding wrath), overflowing generosity, and merciful kindness, to melt our hard heart and lead us along the path…

My local newspaper recently gained national attention with an investigative report on sexual abuse by ministers in “Independent Fundamentalist Baptist” churches.

The study revealed 412 documented allegations of sexual misconduct in 187 churches, based in 40 states and Canada. Let me quickly add that while I am “independent,” and some would say, a bit “fundamental,” and a…

“Follow God’s example . . . and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us. . . . Now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:1–2a, 8b–10 NIV).

  With our Bibles open to 1 Corinthians 13, we began our 12-step meditation about God’s top priority for every disciple with this statement: “The most fulfilling…

I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.

JOB 3:26 NIV

DO NOT DISTURB signs do not keep unwelcome intruders away. Frustrating problems, excruciating pain, and mystifying perplexity make personal peace elusive. Unexpected trouble can shatter your…

You are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

MATTHEW 1:21 NLT

Jesus means Joy—He saves from despair and hopelessness.

     Alexander conquered the world by force and was called great—

          Jesus captures hearts from all nations by love and is called God.

     In contrast to fleeting happiness, Immanuel gives invulnerable joy—

          His cross brings deep peace, His Presence…

You are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

MATTHEW 1:21 NLT

Jesus means Joy—He saves from despair and hopelessness.

     Alexander conquered the world by force and was called great—

          Jesus captures hearts from all nations by love and is called God.

     In contrast to fleeting happiness, Immanuel gives invulnerable joy—

          His cross brings deep peace, His Presence…

Years ago, I found myself in charge of an organization that was deeply divided. Every decision was challenged. Every vote was split. As I struggled to lead, a good friend said to me, “Just lead! We will follow!” While not everyone followed, the organization survived. If you have ever been a part of an organization that suffered from a lack of leadership, you know how painful that can be. How agonizing it is to watch a group of people flounder around with no direction, wasting their time in…

“Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:7–8a NIV). Love doesn’t quit!

  As He continues speaking to us through the pe…

When I entered the Twitter world in May 2012 with @BestBibleTweets, I set a goal that seemed audacious at the time: gaining 4,000 followers within one year. However, that goal was surpassed in just six months, and now I’ve reached 45,000 Twitter followers.

Although this accomplishment is exhilarating in many ways, it’s also a time of sober reevaluation. At each new milestone, I’ve found myself facing honest questions, like “Do Twitter…

All who separated themselves from foreign neighbors to keep The Revelation of God

together with their wives, sons, daughters –…

I gave responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress,

for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.

NEHEMIAH 7:2 NLT…

My role models have all been workaholics. Many of these have also been perfectionists. This is a dangerous mixture. Trying to justify such a lifestyle, I searched the scriptures, until I discovered Jesus saying in His sermon on the mount, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Then I learned that Jesus is here setting a goal, that is certain to be impossible. The pursuit of perfection is important, even if the attainment of it is…