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How does brotherly love really work? How does it work in situations of extraordinary tension and difficulty? The book of Philemon is a model of Christian friendship, of forgiveness, of both tact and diplomacy on one hand and of contact and straightforwardness on the other. Philemon is all about “the fine art of Christian relationships.” Keywords include “accept” and “receive,” “appeal” and “encourage, “grace” and “joy” along with the word “love.” Here are just a few of the incredible relationship…

There are a number of times in the gospel accounts that individuals are found begging Jesus. They came to Him with strong imploring. They came with a strong desire for Him to do certain things for them. Consider some great lessons we can learn by looking to occasions when people came begging Jesus. Begging Jesus to leave Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the miracle of Jesus healing the man who was possessed by a multitude of demons. In combing…

Everyone has priorities and values; the real question is – in whom or what do we place them? It’s so easy to believe like a theist and to live like a deist. It’s easy to believe in the real and personal God of Scripture yet to live our life, at least at times, as though He ’s distant, aloof, uninvolved and uncaring. In thinking like this worry can run rampant. Worry is a subtle temptation for so many of us,…

In several years of preaching, there is an area that I have come to enjoy very much – premarital counseling. If you had told me when starting this would be something that would bring so much joy and satisfaction, I most likely would have laughed out loud. However, I find it to be very rewarding and, as it turns out, a very good thing for my own marriage. Julie and I almost always sit down for a number of one-hour…

Parents may not fully realize it now, with the constant demands, joys and challenges (and sheer exhaustion!) of parenting, but those little ones really do grow up all too quickly. We want and desperately need God’s help in blessing our children. An earlier article (2 weeks ago) first dealt with this theme. Here’s some additional suggestions for praying for the little ones in your life. 1) Pray that wisdom and biblical discernment would be their constant friend (Proverbs 2:3-5; Philippians…

Don’t you love easy questions? Sometimes we are hammered with difficult questions that can take time and much thought to contemplate and respond. Jesus asked an easy question in John 5:6, “Do you want to be made well?” It was a question posed to a man who had been plagued with an infirmity for a period of 38 years. Can you imagine suffering for that long and someone coming and asking you if you want to be well? It’s seemingly…

It’s a question that still consumes me, even though our children are now grown and have families of their own. What’s more – I know it’s a question that consumes many Christian parents, because it’s a question I’m asked a lot. We are aware that children are gifts from God, a sacred trust placed in our care (Psalm 127:3-5). They really are ours for a while, so they can be God’s forever! How should we pray for our kids? What…

Who was drawn to Jesus? If you had only about three years of ministry to bring about the salvation of men’s souls, with whom would you spend your days? Amazingly, Jesus spent time with young and old, rich and poor, those of His nation and those from outside, and everyone in between. If we would really follow the example of Jesus (1 Peter 2:21) and truly fix our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2), we…

A lot has already been said about it. It’s been mentioned many times in both public and private prayers. Westside’s Vacation Bible School is July 11-14! There will be special Bible classes for all age groups ranging from infants to adults. I’m really excited about the opportunities VBS affords. Here’s a few of those opportunities – (1) VBS is a special opportunity for us to honor God. “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all to the glory of…

Was Jesus cold or indifferent to the man? Some falsely assert that He was indeed too harsh, at best, and unloving or uncaring, at worst. Further examination and study, though, shows the deeper lesson being taught by our loving Savior. The account to examine briefly is found in Luke 9:57-62. In short, Jesus takes advantage of the situation where three different individuals are presented the opportunity to follow Him. When told by the first individual, “Lord, I will follow You…

The best way to truly move forward spiritually is to properly go back to the Bible! There is an old statement about Christianity that constantly rings true: “If it is new, it is not true and if it is true, it is not new.” In last week’s article we noted how important it is to seek to be undenominational. We are complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10), and in His inspired word we find everything we need for knowing what’s right…

The title of this article is not intended to sound vague. Nor is it intended to sound arrogant or like I have all the answers. If I know my heart, it reflects a sincere desire to honor our God and Savior and to respect His holy, authoritative word. It’s a belief I think many people in our world share. If some are unwilling to subject religious beliefs and practices to the scrutiny of God’s will, what does that ultimately say…