The Power of the Tongue
The Power of the Tongue “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21). This world has...
A Little Can Make A Big Difference by Dr. Charles Keen
Four Principal Spices to Sprinkle On Life Small things can make a big difference - this is true in the negative and positive. Examples of the negative are the little...
The Luggage of Life
It is my privilege to do a great deal of travel. Through the years I have learned it is best to travel light. Luggage slows you down and weighs you...
Right On Time
Right On Time We live in time. 60 minutes an hour. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 52 weeks a year. For as many years as God chooses...
Finding a New Beginning
Someone has rightly observed, "Life is a series of new beginnings." Thankfully for the believer, our God is the God of new beginnings! The Creator who alone could make something...
Well Fed Christians
Let me begin by saying this is not an article about food or a healthy diet. The truth is that most of us are physically very well fed - perhaps...
Changing Seasons of Life
The last few months have been some of the most blessed and some of the most challenging of my life. I don’t understand how those two things coexist, but they...
How Do You Remember Things?
One of God's greatest gifts is memory. If you have lived long enough, you have discovered that it can be both a blessing and a curse! Spurgeon said that "by...
Is There Any Limit On Christian Liberty?
Christian liberty. It is a term frequently used and rarely understood in our age of no restraint. The Scriptural expression is actually "the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" and this...
Spiritual Exercise
Medical doctors and health professionals are consistently reminding us to give attention to “diet and exercise.” Henry Drummond believed that every thing we see in the natural world is simply...
Higgaion: A Note We All Need
Unlike my wife, I do not read music. Though the notes on the page mean little to me, I know a good note or a bad note when I hear...
Your Kids Grow You.
Last night was a very special night for me and Tammy. For more than twenty years we had the privilege of being a part of the work of God at...
Takeoff and Landing
Air travel has become more than a luxury for our mobile society. It has, for many, become a necessity to business and commerce. Like the Roman roads of Paul's day...
Home Improvement
If you are a home owner you know that there is ALWAYS something that needs to be done! In some ways this physical reality is a picture of its spiritual...
The Danger of Low Expectations
Decay is a terrible thing, and it is all around us. We live in a world that is getting worse every day through the effects of sin. “For we know...
Days That Change You Forever
There are days in life that change you. God in His providence causes certain days to stand out in our memory as turning points. The day you are married is...
The Danger of Isolation
Depression is rampant and suicide is on the rise. One of the factors feeding this tragedy is that so many people are very alone. We are the most technologically connected...
It Is Time To Move On!
Recently I had the privilege to talk and pray with a kind Christian lady where I was speaking. This sincere believer wondered if one decision in her past would prevent...
“They Never Smile.”
Some time back I heard an individual talking about a certain group of Christians and they described them with these sad words: "They never smile." Now, to be fair, I'm...
What Will You Do With Your Summer?
What Will You Do With Your Summer? Summer is now in full swing and people are taking advantage of it! These months provide the opportunity for many people to "get...
4 Suggestions for Listening to Podcasts
"Have you ever thought about doing a podcast?" The young lady who first asked me this question was a missionary in China and interested in one thing - being able...
A Divine Preservative
I love preserves...grape, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry...yes, I like them all! The preservative principle is that some substance is used to prevent something whole and fresh from decaying. God provides divine...
Don’t Lose Your Laughter!
This week the Lord reminded me of a simple and yet profound truth. Tammy was taking me to the airport and we were talking about a number of things. Throughout...
Going Back On Your Upbringing by Dr. Charles Keen
Lamentations 4:5 says, "...they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills." This describes the extremes one person can go to in life - from being clothed in scarlet to...
Don’t Be The Devil’s Messenger!
Satan is a liar and a critic. Scripture identifies him as “the accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10). Sadly, he gets a lot of help from many “brethren” and he...
7 Rules for Getting More Done
I am happy that in the early years of my life and ministry I was put in a position where there was more to get done than there was time....
The Next Leg of the Race
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Each phase of the race is both distinct and essential to the whole. We have begun, in many respects, the next leg of...
A Way To Escape
One of Satan's lies is that the besetting sin in your life (you know the one) will always defeat you. "That's just the way you are and it will never...
3 Things To Remember At The End of This Year
The end of the year is often a reflective time. Dr. Frank Sells, one of my favorite Bible teachers, used to warn us of becoming "morbidly introspective." If our reflection...
How To Say “Thank You”
Several years ago I had the joy of speaking to a large group of children on the subject of thanksgiving. In preparation I learned how to say thank you in...
You Can Learn a Lot About Life In a Garden
Grant decided he was going to plant a garden this year. His very own. He wanted to work it from scratch and use no plants, just seeds. The primitive,...
3 Lists You Should Make Today
We live by lists! Grocery lists, to do lists, lists to keep up with our lists. At this particular time in our world people are more reflective. God has providentially...
Fighting The Enemy In Your Mind
The most dangerous battle ground on earth is the human mind. Each day is a war zone. Satanic attacks must be met with God's help and every thought must be...
How’s Your “Screen Time”?
Mobile devices and on-demand media have changed our world forever. More specifically, they have changed our families and our lives. Homes no longer revolve around a big screen in the...
What Will Change In Your Life When This Is Over?
Did you know that the word "quarantine" actually comes from an Italian word that has biblical roots? It means 40 days - a reference to the 40 days of purification...
New Blog Series: “Another Week In The Books”
What are you currently reading? Do you have any books to recommend? Who are some authors you enjoy? These are questions that I frequently get from friends, but in the...
Givers And Takers
As a boy my dad told me, "Son, there are two kinds of people in the world - givers and takers - and you're going to have to decide which...
When God Changes Your Direction
When God Changes Your Direction Sometimes the straightest line between A and B is not the route God chooses for us. His ways and thoughts truly are higher than ours...
Some Advice For Your Bible Reading This Year
We are one week into the new year. How are you doing with your devotional Bible reading so far? Many believers begin at the first of the year with some...
Use A Journal This Year
It was quiet in the house and I was sitting in my favorite chair, reading and reflecting. The little, leather books around me were not published volumes. No one else...
The Danger Of Discontent
A friend remarked to me recently that men often struggle with discontentment. It is one of the deceiver's ways of leading us to things that God has not chosen for...
What We Miss While We Are Looking At Our Phones
Have you noticed? Everyone is looking at their mobile device...constantly! In the grocery store. Around the dinner table. Driving down the road. Walking through town. Consumed with a digital world,...
What Do You See When You Look In The Mirror?
The Word of God is an amazing book. Only through its divine lens do we begin to see clearly. Without it our view of reality is skewed by sin and...
How Sensitive Are You?
It is ironic that we are living in a world where people are easily offended by others and yet so often hardened to the needs of others around them. Such...
Control Issues
Let’s face it: we all like to be in control. To feel as though we can direct the course of things and determine the outcome. But this mentality works against...
An Invitation To Preachers & Their Wives
Tammy and I are very grateful for those who have ministered to us through the years. Ministers need ministered to as well! There are moments that the best thing you...
Why Everyone Needs Some Time Away
Call it a vacation, a holiday, a sabbatical...whatever you call it, at some point everyone needs it! We were made to work and God made us to rest as well....
7 Things That Are More Important
As we grow older (and hopefully wiser!) we begin to discern more about what is most important, what is more important, what is less important, and what is not important...
Growing, But Not Changing
Growth is essential to life. Throughout the years I have heard countless people say that the only way to grow is to be willing to change. Change has become the...
Are You Still Running?
The other day a friend I had not talked to for some time asked if I was still running. Yes, my times have not been quite as good as I...
Loving What You Do
“Do you enjoy what you are doing?” I hear this question often. The answer for me is...absolutely! While there are challenges in every work, there is nothing as fulfilling as...
7 Ways To Use The Daily Podcast
Podcasts are a wonderful resource for personal, daily growth. Listening to the faithful teaching of God's Word has often been used to instruct and inspire me along the way. My...
It’s Not Automatic!
It was embarrassing to say the least. There I stood in a public restroom waving my hands furiously under the faucet, grumbling that someone really should fix the sensor. Why...
New Growth In The New Year
Henry Longfellow was once asked how he managed a long and happy life. He pointed to an apple tree and said, "The secret of the apple tree is that it...
A Fresh Look At Familiar Scriptures
“Why didn’t I see that? Where did that preacher get the understanding of that passage…and how could I have missed it?” Sound familiar? We have all had these questions. Perhaps...
The Danger Of Shipwreck
As I ran along the coast in a Florida community some time ago I saw one of the most vivid reminders of the dangers of life. The sun was shining...
What Is Your Drug Of Choice?
An opioid epidemic is now sweeping our nation. Everywhere I travel I read the horrific stories of death and destruction being caused by illegal drugs. Even as politicians and health...
Are You Seeking God’s Direction For Some Decision?
At every stage on the journey we face crossroads - choices that will have long-lasting effects on both ourselves and others. Direction determines destination. There is never a day that...
You Are What You Eat.
This is not an article on health and wellness. It is much more important than that. (If my mother is reading this I want to go on record as saying...
What Is The Most Important Lesson You Have Learned?
As I write these words I am sitting in northern Michigan. It is a beautiful summer day at camp. This morning at breakfast I had an engaging conversation with a...
You Have To Work Hard To Keep It Simple
He was an engineer who had been responsible for the invention of things too intricate for me to understand. Yet the message he conveyed to me was one that I...
How To Make This The Greatest Summer Of Your Life
How To Make This The Greatest Summer Of Your Life Everyone looks forward to summer. Students will tell you that summer begins the moment they are out of school. For...
The Difference Between Faithfulness And Routine
"Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:2). We all want to be faithful...but what does that mean? Faithfulness is not a schedule;...
Just For Preachers
I love preachers. It was my privilege to grow up in a pastor's home. For eighteen years I served under a faithful pastor. Now, it is my opportunity each week...
The Most Important Characteristic of A Staff Member
For nearly two decades I had the joy of serving on the staff of a wonderful church and college. After the first few years I had the responsibility of not...
A Story That Changed The Way I Look At The Bible
Below is one of the longest posts I have ever made and yet it will be one of the most enjoyable reads. As a college student, learning to learn, I...
Lincoln’s Letter: April 7, 1865
In just a few days Lincoln would "belong to the ages." His life, like the Civil War, was soon to end. The final stages of battle were underway. [caption id="attachment_6814"...
Truths for Travelers: Lessons Learned On the Road
As many of you know I spend a good deal of time on the road. Another frequent traveler, the Apostle Paul, once wrote, “all things are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:21-22)....
Why I Was Wrong About Reading Fiction
For many years I almost prided myself in not reading fiction. "I read real stories." Some time ago I was given a work of Christian fiction to read. As I...
My Shortest Post Ever – 2 Words to Help You Today
This is the time of year when so many people become sluggish. Schedules are hectic. The newness of the new year has worn off and the freshness of spring has...
The Power of a Name Remembered
It has been said that the most beautiful word in the English language is your own name. Even if you don't care for the name you have been given, it...
Announcing New Guest Blog Posts!
Last year we provided a free resource each month to encourage and equip believers. In 2018 I would like to make available a different type of resource. Each month a...
A Devotional Truth for the Evening
Every close to the day is a reminder that God has not failed or forsaken us. Weariness should remind us that His strength was sufficient. Memories should remind us that...
A Devotional Truth for the Morning
I am in another time zone this morning. Next week I will be in a time zone ten and a half hours different from home! It is easy for mornings...
A Reminder for 2018
Today is the last day of the first week of a new year. Imagine each year as a puzzle with fifty-two pieces. The first piece is now in place. Recently...
A Goal for 2018
How are you doing with your goals for the new year? It is just the first week but how quickly we can forget and fail in the very areas we...
A Prayer for 2018
When God speaks to us it is natural to respond to Him. The Bible should lead us to prayer! Several years ago someone gave me a book about praying the...
A Word for 2018
There is power in one word from God. I hold a personal conviction that the very words and every word of Scripture are given by inspiration of God. They have...
A Scripture for 2018
Many of us have made definite commitments to give renewed attention to God's Word in the new year. For me, that means something different every year. I try not to...
The First Step
The first day of a new year. What will we do with it? It will never get any easier than today to take action. Never. Do you want to learn...
The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards
Christmas and New Year are a time for family and fun. But for a believer it is a season of faith. A time to turn our eyes to Christ and...
How to Make Winter the Most Fruitful Season of the Year
Winter is not often thought of as fruitful. In many parts of the country short days and cold weather begin to limit the activities of the church. Depressed moods can...
Thank God for Your Critics!
It is inevitable that critics will come. If you obey God there will be some man who does not understand. And the critics are not always foes - sometimes they...
Going the Second Mile
It doesn't mean much to us, but to the crowd Christ was speaking to it was radical, revolutionary, even ridiculous. "And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go...
Are You In A Holding Pattern?
There are few things more frustrating than the pilot's announcement that your flight is in a holding pattern! How long? Why? What is the problem? When will this end? In...
What I Am Reading (And Re-Reading)
Books become friends. They instruct and inspire. As my wife will tell you, there are a lot of books around our home! At any given time there are several off...
30 Days of Thanksgiving
Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. used to say, "When gratitude dies on the altar of a man's heart he is well-nigh gone." There is no way to underestimate the power of...
A Simple Principle That Has Had A Profound Effect On My Life
Dr. Frank Sells was one of my favorite Bible teachers. I can see him now, sitting on the platform, in his own conversational way showing some of the most powerful...
Ideas for Keeping Yourself Fresh
Living on the road can be a challenge. In fact, life itself is a challenge! The duties and demands of every day. The pull and pressure of people. It is...
Why I Started Running & Why I Plan to Continue
A little over two years ago I started running. I didn't plan to do it. In fact, I'm not sure why I went out that first day. I remember saying...
The Most Important Lessons I Learned in My College Years
A few days ago I had the joy of addressing a group of college students in a local church. There were freshmen and upperclassmen, full of hope and excitement as...
A Simple Practice to Add to Your Morning Routine
What is your morning routine? We all have one. Typically, mine begins with a trip to the coffee maker! While there are simple variations to my morning routine I try...
Can You Go One Day Without It?
Relax. I'm not going to ask you to give up something important like chocolate or coffee. I want to ask you to give up something far more destructive. A few...
How to Study the Psalms
How to Study the Psalms So many people are looking for a Bible plan or devotional help. Some are looking for a place to get started. Others are looking for...
The Power of One Kind Word
The other day I wrote a short post about how the devil loves to use our words to tear others down. Permit me to share the positive side of this truth:...
The Devil Doesn’t Need Our Help!
Dr. Lee Roberson used to say, "It takes no size to criticize." Indeed one of the smallest things a man can do is to tear someone else down. Christ always...
A Simple Idea for Families
Families are busier than they have ever been. One of the most challenging things to do as a spouse or parent is consistently read the Bible with your family. I...
What to Do with Your Emotions
Emotions are a gift from God. They are also marred with the sin nature of Adam. When they are under God's reign they feel as He feels, but when they...
