“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed—better not to vow than to vow and not pay. Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin…” (Eccl 5:4-6). A promise made is a debt unpaid. The Lord […]
“He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it” (1 Pet 3:10-11). Life should not only be measured by its length, but also by its depth. […]
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (Jas 1:5). The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it! And the best way to solve it is to lose faith in your own ability […]
“Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you” (Prov 9:8). A proverb: a short sentence based on long experience. A sermon in a sentence, this one reminds us that our reaction to correction today will prove us to be a foolish scoffer or a wise […]
“Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard” (Dan 10:12). Ability and humility are not opposites, but essential complements in the lives of vital people. If we remember from Whom our ability came and for Whom […]
“…That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (Eph 3:16). People see the outer as “me,” but “the inner man” is what God knows me to be in all my redeemed potential. Only the Spirit-led inner man can accomplish […]
“For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Pet 2:25). Lost sheep wander. Peace of mind and accomplishment in life won’t come through half-hearted scatter-shot living. The devoted life is a focused life. The Shepherd knows what we should do. […]
“Baal-Hanan the Gederite was over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the lowlands, and Joash was over the store of oil” (1 Chron 27:28). Why all those names in the Bible? Well, they were real people, and God takes note of everyone. Were these men unimportant? No, without them—no temple service! […]
“Now the works of the flesh are…But the fruit of the Spirit is…” (Gal 5:19, 22). The first list is a catalog of what people do to fail: things like hatred, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambition, envy, etc. The other list, the Spirit’s work in us, is the secret of success. You pick! […]