“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.”  Hebrews 12:11  Jonah thought his plan was going to work. Although God told him to go to the wicked city of Nineveh, he decided to head in the other direction. Result? While inside the big fish, Jonah prayed for forgiveness. Moses’ […]

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.”  John 8:31 Do you consider yourself one of Jesus’ disciples? Often when we hear that word, we think of the followers of Jesus, especially the twelve who were the closest to him. Many people confuse the words disciple and […]

“Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” 2 Kings 4:7  Today, unless one is wealthy, it is nearly impossible to avoid debt. Schooling, housing, and transportation have become so costly it is almost impossible to function without debt. When […]

“God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’” Genesis 1:5 Nyctophobia is the extreme fear of darkness. It is a problem that affects many people. They become afraid when they are in the dark or even when they think about darkness. We know that when God created […]

“Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him.” Psalm 149:3  Some people enjoy a good polka, waltz, or square dance. It gives them an opportunity to express themselves through movement. Just as God provided the opportunity to sing, so he gave us the ability to dance. […]

“They also follow a lot of other teachings, such as washing cups, pitchers, and bowls.” Mark 7:4 (CEV)  Sometimes Bible words that seem quite insignificant can carry great meaning with them. We might say that about the simple drinking cup. In Bible times most of the cups were made of […]

“Then he brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him.” 2 Kings 11:12 (ESV)  In many Bible story pictures of the kings of Israel, such as Saul, David, or Solomon, we see them seated on a throne, dressed in royal robes, and wearing a shiny gold crown. […]

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross.” 1 Peter 2:24  Perhaps the most popular symbol for Christians is the cross, and rightly so. Crucifixion was reserved for non-Roman slaves and criminals. Its purpose was not just to kill the criminal but also to mutilate and display […]

“Act with courage, and may the LORD be with those who do well.” 2 Chronicles 19:11  “You’re right. I am a coward. I haven’t any courage at all!” If you’ve ever seen The Wizard of Oz, you probably remember the Cowardly Lion saying those words to Dorothy. The dictionary tells […]

“Who laid its cornerstone?” Job 38:6  Constructing a building in ancient times was much more difficult than now. Today, when a site is planned for a building, we hire surveyors to carefully map out the area where the building is to be set. These people use many sophisticated devices to […]