Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 I have always thought that it would be a wonderful experience to go on an African safari. The only thing that would make me a little nervous would be getting so close to the wild animals, because in the end, they are just that – wild animals. I would always wonder in the back of my mind if maybe the

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 Our church makes a habit of going door to door in neighborhoods to try to spread the message of the gospel. Needless to say, we encounter some, shall we say, interesting things from time to time. One Saturday, as we walked, I came upon a

And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. Judges 16:20 One of the saddest stories in the Bible is that of Samson. Here was a man who was set apart for God’s use from he was born. He was a Nazarite. No doubt, God had very special things that He wanted Samson to accomplish. For a time, Samson did as he was supposed to – he followed God’s plan for his life. Howe

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:11 Suppose that, after you get your driver’s license, you decide to take a drive down a small town road. As you drive through one small town after another, you pick up speed until eventua

But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Galatians 4:9 Even the least conscientious student of American history is familiar with the American War for

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! James 3:5 I was splitting wood with my brother in preparation for the winter. In the course of all the sawdust flying around from a combination of the chain saw and the wood splitter, a small piece of sawdust found its way past my eyelid and into the very personal space known as my eyeball. N

Recently, we decided it was time to install some video cameras on our church property so we could monitor things that happened when we were

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Hebrews 11:25 Though I really don’t enjoy fishing, I have done it a few times. I see no point in wasting perfectly good sleep to get up early in the morning, only to then spending hours waiting for something I’m not even going to eat to magically appear on the end of my fishing line. I re

To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Acts 26:18 As I drove down the road the other day, I noticed by the window a fly that was trapped inside the car. He was buzzing loudly, desperately looking for an escape route. As we rolled down the road, its litt

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:17 Although I’m not sure why anyone would particularly want to boil a live frog, most people are familiar with how to do it. If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, he will jump out as quickly as he is thrown in. However, if you put him in a pot of cool water, he

And they all with one consent began to make excuse. Luke 14:18 Though we don’t often admit it, we like to make excuses for our sin and for why we cannot serve God. It happened for the first time with the very first man and woman ever created. When God came to confront Adam about his sin in the Garden, he blamed Eve. She then immediately pointed her finger at the serpent. We are good at coming up with excuses, but most of them are fed to us by the devil himself

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James 1:15 I am going to mark this down right here for the record: I do not like hot sauce. To be honest, I have never understood people who do. I met with a long-time friend of mine recently to eat at a Mexican restaurant. As he ate his hot food, his nose began to run, and he began to sweat. I ask

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. Luke 4:14 When Jesus was here on the earth, He subjected Himself to many of the things that we are subject to today. He was God, so to make sure He remained sinless as a man, He could have removed all of the human qualities. He could have literally just been God in a human body. But Jesus, being full o

And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me… Genesis 20:6 This passage in Genesis 20 gives valuable insight into the way that God protects us from sin in our lives. It is apparent that Abraham had

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. Titus 1:15 When I take a light-hearted view of sin, I need revival. I grew up with many kids who came from the same background as I did. They had good parents who loved them and sacrificed niceties so they could attend a solid Christian school. They sat beside me in Sunday school, and they were in church with me a

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 4:7 When I persist in known sin, I need revival. Let me ask you a few hard-hitting questions. Do you look at things on the internet that you know are not pleasing to God? Do you w

Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue; Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth: Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him. Job 20:12-14 My wife called me in a panic one day as I was working as an assistant pastor at a church. “Honey,” she begged frantically, “can you please come home quickly? I was putting this piece of wood in the stove, and bef

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. Titus 1:15 My dad owned an Invisible Fence dealership in Northwest Indiana for over twenty-five years. Needless to say, I helped him on a countless number of occasions. An invisible fence is a pet containment system designed to keep pets from leaving the yard. A wire, connected to a transmitter in the garage, is bur

And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. Judges 16:20 We live out in the country, and I love it, but there is one aspect of living out here that I’m not so fond of. When we lose power, it usually stays out for several days before the power company g

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. Ecclesiastes 10:1 I love building things with wood, and I do it as often as time will allow. On one occasion, as I was building a farmhouse table, I found myself in a position where I wished I had an extra two or three hands. I was holding a piece of wood at an awkward angle and trying to hold it just long en