All Blog Posts (1,227)

Then Job replied to the Lord:

“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.”

Job 42:1-2 NIV

The experience classroom is where you learn profound wisdom. The school of hard knocks presents a tough curriculum, but what you learn experientially alters you more than what you learn academically.

The first lesson you…

Joe and Mary enter the church and talk to long-term friends. They get a cup of coffee and ask how Sarah how she’s enjoying their new house. Joe and Mary sit down in their familiar seats by the center aisle so they can leave quickly. They sing some songs, hear a message, and then go home.

A church culture has dominated a mission culture in many of our churches. Too many "Christians" are busy playing church instead of seeking the heart of Jesus. As a result, the church is declining in…

Father’s Day is a special time for families—but that doesn’t mean it’s always an easy time. Like any holiday, Father’s Day can either be pleasant or painful, magical or mayhem. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on the heritage you’re leaving as a parent or grandparent, but that can be a cause for either celebration or concern.

Picture the family line of a good friend of mine. If the whole gang could somehow be brought together for a family reunion, I can only imagine the…

God has no grandchildren.

Reading through the Old Testament book of Judges recently, a sentence jumped off the page and jabbed at my heart: After them another generation rose up who did not know the…

Joe and Mary enter the church and talk to long-term friends. They get a cup of coffee and ask how Sarah how she’s enjoying their new house. Joe and Mary sit down in their familiar seats by the center aisle so they can leave quickly. They sing some songs, hear a message, and then go home.

A church culture has dominated a mission culture in many of our churches. Too many "Christians" are busy playing…

I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one can come to the Father except through me.

John 14:6 NLT

I am the only Road that leads to the destination of…

Recently I woke up thinking about an intriguing phrase in Paul’s statement to the Colossians:

²⁷ to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in…

You are Yahweh, Most High over all the earth, far transcending all gods.

Psalm 97:9 TNJB

I am Most High over earth—exalt Me above false gods of the heart.

Idols are low-life—I…

Several times recently I have heard it said that God showed “favor” on someone or some group. Wondering where this phrase originated, I went to multiple translations of the Bible, until I found in the Holman Christian Standard Bible, the following translation: “May Yahweh look with favor on you” (Numbers 6:26). And why had I never seen this verse before, I asked. So, I went to my New King James Bible, as well as a few other translations and found the familiar words, “The Lord bless you and…

If, as the Beatles say, all you need is love and if, as the scripture says, God is love, is it possible to have authentic,  transforming, forgiving empowering, love without a relationship with God?

If you say you believe in God, you cannot not have love as your motivation and message in everything you say and do.…

Come into the Light by Glenn Gemmel

The Way to the Truth of Life

I am the way, the truth, and the life.  John 14:6 NLT

I am the only Road…

Sermons do a lot of things, but sermons don’t make disciples.

Here’s the dilemma: the church’s mission is to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20). If sermons don’t make disciples, then how does the church fulfill its mission? If sermons don’t directly fulfill the church’s mission, then why is so much emphasis placed on the weekend worship service and the sermon?

What Do Sermons Do?

I’m a preacher. I have nothing against preaching. I take exception, however, in…

You know these things—now do them! That is the path of blessing.

John 13:17 NLT

Reverence My path of authority—know and understand that I am Lord.

     My…

Prayer changes things.
Prayer changes people.
Prayer changes situations.
Pray without ceasing.
You are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
(1Thess 5:17; 1 Cor 6:19).

As we celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend, I find myself thinking about what it takes for someone to be beautiful even in their old age. I’ve concluded there’s no better example than Sarah, the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac.

In addition to being beautiful in her later years, Sarah also was fruitful and honoring – rare qualities indeed, especially in today’s world. Let’s look at how this was possible:

      BEAUTIFUL: If a woman…

God bless America.  That is the poorest excuse for a prayer I’ve ever heard.

Americans bark out that demand hundreds of times every minute of every day.  That phrase has no humility.  That phrase has no confession of need.  That phrase offers no supplication.

Issuing this command to God is blasphemous. 

A proper prayer for God’s blessing would be, at a minimum, “God, please bless America.”

A more appropriate prayer would be, “God, we have pushed you to the…

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.  John 10:10 NLT

I am the good Shepherd who faithfully leads you into tomorrow.

I know your geographical, emotional and spiritual coordinates. 

I walk ahead of you into the…

Did Jesus ever make a prediction that turned out to be false? It certainly seemed so when He said upon hearing that His friend Lazarus was sick, “This sickness will not end in death” (John 11:4 NIV).  

If you know the story of Lazarus, you remember that his sickness did indeed result in death. In fact, by the time Jesus arrived on the scene, his friend had already been in the tomb for four days.

Not only was Lazarus dead, but the situation had already become stinky.…

Then Hezekiah encouraged them with this address:

“Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid of the king of Assyria or his mighty army.

There is a power far greater on our side! He has a great army, but they are just…

It was a sad morning. Several months ago, our neighbors were re-located to a memory care facility. Their three sons had come and gone, taking what they wanted out of the house, then turning it over to an auction company. On the morning of the auction, the auctioneers waited inside, as the crowds began to gather. Eventually, my wife and I walked over to observe the “estate sale.” As we bumped and maneuvered our way through the crowded rooms of the house, we saw strangers taking priceless…